Brighton academics find ghosting and gaslighting cause depression
Prof Jaspal added: "The digital age has provided enormous opportunity for social connections but also comes with some risks. "Ghosting, in particular, is almost exclusively enacted in online settings."Younger adults, in particular, appear to be at greater risk and must be supported."The study attempted to explain why some people might behave in this way, concluding it could be to avoid conflict.It suggested therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy could help those who have been affected.
Need help? If you have been affected by this story the BBC Action Line web page features a list of organisations which are ready to provide support and advice.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Guernsey woman feels at risk after nurse alarm failure
A charity has raised concerns after an islander said she ended up on the floor for two hours due to a broken nurse call whose name has been changed to protect her identity, said she suffered a fall while the emergency alarm system was down and had to wait two hours before help arrived when nurses carried out a regular Concern Guernsey said such alarms were a "lifeline" and it was essential they were in working and Social Care (HSC) Operational Support Services, which oversees some of the support systems, not including Joan's, said it was planning a "phased replacement of legacy nurse call systems across various healthcare sites". HSC is looking for a supplier to undertake its Nurse Call System Replacement Programme covering about 200 said the list of sites was "not exhaustive" and "may change once the process progresses"."The current nurse call systems from various providers, vary in age, with the majority 10 to 15 years old."Existing systems are maintained to ensure they continue working, and are not a clinical risk," it who knows what it is like to have a system fail, said: "It's very frightening."You're very vulnerable... this is supposed to keep you safe and it isn't if it isn't working."She said her system had been fixed but she was "worried all the time" it would fail again."You wonder if you're actually worth anything, because you're paying for it and you're not getting the service," she said. David Inglis, chairman of Age Concern Guernsey, said the systems were a "lifeline" for many."There are 1,200 people out there [using a system]," he said, adding it was "really bad" if just one had suffered due to a system not functioning was also concerned how any system would work with the introduction of full fibre broadband to the island's communications network, replacing the current mixed fibre and copper wire behind the full fibre roll-out said the system would mean connections would be faster, more stable and more Ozanne, head of fixed networks at Sure, the telecoms company in charge of the technical side, said the utility wanted "to make sure it continues to work reliably on the new fibre network"."If you or someone you care for uses a lifeline health alarm, you're eligible for a free battery backup unit when switching to fibre," Mr Ozanne company had also introduced a new lifeline device that used the mobile network, which it said would "continue to work if there is a power cut".
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
One in three GP appointments are not face-to-face
One in three GP appointments in England are not face-to-face, the highest proportion since the Covid pandemic. A third (33.3 per cent) of appointments across the country in June were carried out either over the phone or online. The figure is up from 30.9 per cent a year earlier in June 2024, and 28.3 per cent in June 2023, according to an analysis of NHS England data. 'Offer convenience and flexibility' Family doctors said remote consultations 'offer convenience and flexibility that many patients value', and the majority of appointments are still delivered face-to-face. As many as four in 10 appointments were carried out by phone or online during the pandemic, but the proportion fell once the impact of Covid-19 eased and had dropped to 27.7 per cent in January 2023. In the past two years, the figure has risen slowly but steadily, driven by a sharp increase in consultations taking place online. These accounted for only 1.5 per cent of all GP appointments in June 2023 but had jumped to 4.9 per cent by June 2024 and 8 per cent in June this year. This has helped push up the combined figure for phone and online appointments to its current post-pandemic high of 33.3 per cent. 'Record-breaking number of appointments' The figure just for telephone appointments has remained broadly unchanged over this period, at about 25 per cent, the PA news agency reported. Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chairman of the Royal College of GPs (RCGP), said: 'Remote consultations, whether delivered over the phone or via video, can offer convenience and flexibility that many patients value, and evidence has shown that in the vast majority of cases, remote care is safe. 'Often, a GP might initially consult with a patient remotely and then ask them to come into the practice if it's necessary to see them in person. 'However, we also know that many patients prefer to access their care in person, and this is how the majority of appointments are still delivered. 'Over the last 12 months, GPs and their teams have delivered a record-breaking number of appointments, and nearly 250 million were carried out in person.' 'Delivering care' Some 63.3 per cent of GP appointments in June in England were in person, data shows, down from 65.3 per cent a year earlier and 68.4 per cent in June 2023. Online appointments include those carried out using live chat tools or non-video apps, as well as video-based calls. The proportion of appointments taking place by phone or online varies across the regions, with the figures for June ranging from 38.2 per cent in London to 28.4 per cent in the North East and Yorkshire. Prof Hawthorne said the college 'supports a mixed-method approach to delivering care' in general practice, and decisions on how appointments are carried out are between clinicians and patients. 'What's key is that when GPs are consulting with their patients remotely, they have access to the robust and up-to-date IT systems that allows them to do so safely and effectively,' she added. 'Fit for purpose' Prof Hawthorne said the Government 'has put forward some encouraging proposals to improve the GP practice digital infrastructure and IT systems', but 'significant investment' is needed to make this a reality. She added: 'The college has called for additional funding of at least £2 billion to ensure our physical and digital infrastructure is fit for purpose so we can offer patients the appointment that's right for them.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: 'We've made real progress fixing the front door of the NHS, recruiting more than 2,000 GPs in the last year and delivering an additional 7 million GP appointments to improve access for patients. 'Through our 10 Year Health Plan, we are delivering Neighbourhood Health Services that deliver more personalised, proactive care in local areas where it is more convenient for patients. 'This Government is also clear that patients should have access to health and care when they need it, and people who prefer a face-to-face appointment should have one, so we are transforming the NHS app to make managing your healthcare online easy and flexible.' An NHS England spokesman said: 'Every GP practice must offer face-to-face appointments where patients want or need them, and many patients choose remote appointments where it is clinically appropriate and more convenient for them. 'GP teams are working hard to offer better access for patients, with a record number of appointments being carried out in the last year and recent findings showing the number of patients who are satisfied with their practice has improved.'
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Charity Cosmic to support parents whose children are sent to ICU
Charlotte Creevy's son Seth was two weeks old when he stopped breathing and was rushed to intensive care at a London hospital."What kept going through my mind was, 'Is he going to live or die?'" Charlotte said Seth had contracted three viruses and needed respiratory Seth recovered and returned home after being treated at the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington for three weeks in October a "first of its kind" support service by the charity Cosmic is being rolled out at the hospital to help parents like Charlotte cope with the trauma of experiencing their child going into intensive care. "It was awful. I would cry because it was hard not knowing what would happen to Seth," Charlotte added. "I was only two weeks postpartum after an emergency C-section, so I was physically not in a good way anyway." While she was watching over Seth in intensive care, his twin brother and one-year-old sister were being looked after by their grandmother. "Adding to it all, I was feeling guilty that my other two children were away from their mum." Chief executive of Cosmic, Susannah Forland said "things like the beeping of a fridge can trigger trauma or flashbacks".She added: "The impact can be long-lasting and far-reaching after the families return home. "Our service will bridge the gap between hospital and home, providing a vital safety net during one of the most emotionally vulnerable times in a parent's life."Research at St Mary's Hospital found that early intervention helped reduce symptoms of PTSD and other long-term mental health issues among parents, following their child's discharge from intensive care. "Surviving intensive care is a huge relief, but it can also mark the beginning of a complex emotional journey," said Dr Simon Nadel, a consultant in paediatric intensive care at St Mary's Hospital, who was involved in the research."We've found that 75-80% of parents develop PTSD after their children are discharged from intensive care units. That can have long-term effects, such as the avoidance of returning to hospital in the future."Our new post-discharge support service is a proactive, compassionate response to the psychological impact parents often face." Charlotte said the image of baby Seth being taken from her side to be resuscitated still stays with her. Long after he left hospital, she would become extremely anxious when any of her children fell said support from the charity made a big difference: "Cosmic put me in touch with a psychologist so I could start to process some of the emotional stuff going on." After a successful pilot, Cosmic is funding and delivering the post-PICU service on a permanent basis. It involves providing parents with a booklet containing information and coping mechanisms, a follow-up telephone call by trained staff, and ongoing referral for counselling where supports the children's intensive care units at St Mary's and Queen Charlotte's & Chelsea hospitals. The charity hopes its post-PICU service will be rolled out across other NHS hospitals in the future.
