Science And Public Health

🧠 One of the most comprehensive therapy intervention resources I’ve come across. For clinicians, interns, and psychology students — this PDF breaks down: 🔹 CBT, DBT, ACT, MI, SFBT, IPT, Play Therapy 🔹 Clear use cases, client suitability, core techniques, and cautions 🔹 Detailed intervention ideas for: Anxiety, Depression, BPD, Trauma, Substance Use, and more 🔹 All in a clean, minimalist themed format that’s as visually calming as it is functional Whether you're prepping for sessions, supervision, or just want a structured reference — this is the kind of tool that belongs on every therapist’s desk. Truly one of the most useful therapy guides I’ve seen. #TherapyResources #ClinicalPsychology #MentalHealthProfessionals #CBT #DBT #PsychologyTools #EvidenceBasedPractice #TherapistsOfLinkedIn #PsychologyStudents

WHO upgrades its public health intelligence system to boost #globalhealth security The World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with key partners and supporters, launched version 2.0 of the Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) system, used globally for the early detection of #publichealth threats. Since its development in 2017, the initiative has grown steadily and is now being used by more than 110 Member States and around 30 organizations and networks around the world The update incorporates new #data sources and improved functionalities, including the use of #artificial #intelligence #AI Hosted at the WHO Hub for #Pandemic and #Epidemic #Intelligence in Berlin, EIOS is the world’s leading initiative for open-source intelligence for public health decision-making. It helps public #health teams detect and respond to potential #threats daily by analyzing large volumes of publicly available information in near real time. Recent health #emergencies, such as the #COVID‑19 pandemic, and the #mpox and #avian #influenza #outbreaks, have demonstrated how critical early detection is to prevent outbreaks from escalating into global #crises. With version 2.0, public health experts around the globe are now better equipped to quickly identify new health threats and monitor ongoing events, whether they are linked to #conflict, #climate change, or new and re-emerging #pathogens. Version 2.0 is the most significant upgrade to the custom-built technology and includes several new features: Built for growth: The system has been rebuilt to process more sources, accommodate more users and allow new features to be added more quickly. AI integration: Implementation of latest AI-powered tools enhancing automated analysis and signal detection Variety of sources: The tool can now process additional sources, such as radio channels, which are automatically transcribed and translated Simpler and multilingual interface: The new interface can be translated in multiple languages, making it more accessible for non-English speakers, and a new dashboard view helps users find and share the most relevant reports more quickly Better collaboration: Users across countries and organizations can now track and monitor events jointly more easily WHO offers the EIOS system as a public good, free of charge to its Member States and eligible organizations and supports them with #training and #communities of practice. Ministries of Health and public health agencies use the EIOS system to complement information they receive through formal channels, such as #laboratories and #hospitals The EIOS system enables them to identify relevant content from #websites, #social #media and other public sources to identify important health events, which authorities can then verify and assess European Commission https://lnkd.in/eHJ_dCQi

Why should health content be SO serious? Imagine this: ‘If you’re between the ages of 25-35, you might need to get a cervical screening.’ Accompanied by some blue and white NHS branding and some cartoons depicting women’s health. It’s easy to post and broadcast. It follows strict health promotion rules. But unfortunately it’s super easy to ignore. So clinical-sounding that it will likely put people off taking action. To get some stickier social media message through to their target audience, the NHS just perfectly spoke to their target audience with the one and only Harry Styles.  Was it a big deviation from their typical content? Yes.  Did it backfire? Absolutely not. It went viral, because it speaks to their audience perfectly. It’s actually incredibly important that health educators and brands learn how to communicate their message in the simplest way possible. Because:  43% of working-age adults in England have low health literacy, yet most digital health solutions are built for the health-literate minority. Low health literacy has a stronger correlation to poor health than education level, deprivation, age, or ethnicity (Source: National Voices, 2017). 🧠 Why it happens: 📍 Cognitive Overload Complex, jargon-heavy texts increase cognitive load, causing people to tune out or fail to process essential instructions — especially when stressed or anxious about health. 📍 Self-Efficacy & Motivation If people don’t understand what they’re supposed to do, they are less likely to feel capable of acting. Poor comprehension therefore reduces self-efficacy — a key predictor of behaviour change. Health promotion has always been pretty serious but there are a couple of brands and people doing it a bit different: Jude uses humour and relatable experiences to break down the stigma around bladder health and incontinence and speak directly to their audience who are tired of being sidelined by medical jargon. Cindy Gallop is breaking down stigma around sexual health and pleasure in the most unapologetic, genius ways. Health advocacy doesn’t have to be so serious. It’s actually really important that it’s not. I’m really hoping to see more of this from the NHS. What other examples have you seen of great health content? I’m really keen to find more amazing brands. ♻️ Found this helpful? Repost to share with your network.  ⚡ Curious about health tech and entrepreneurship? Hit follow Maya Moufarek.

This week on Behavioral Science for Brands, MichaelAaron Flicker and I chat with Jo Arden, Chief Strategy Officer at AMV BBDO, about the behavioural science behind the best public health campaigns. We cover: 🚫 How Stoptober applied social proof to help people quit smoking 📣 Why publicly committing to a behaviour boosts follow through 🇳🇿 How New Zealand used the messenger effect to raise awareness about herpes 🎈 Why health campaigns should avoid fear and focus on humour ⛳ Why breaking behaviours into small milestones improves uptake 🎧 Links to Spotify etc in the comments or just search for Behavioral Science for Brands.

🧠 The Science Behind Lasting Health Changes: 5 Behavior Change Models Every Healthcare Professional Should Know Why do some patients successfully adopt healthier lifestyles while others struggle? The answer lies in understanding proven behavior change theories that guide effective intervention design. 🛒 Transtheoretical Model (TTM) Recognizes 5 stages: Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, Maintenance. The key insight? Tailor your intervention to where your patient is right now, not where you want them to be. 🐦 Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) Three powerful forces drive change: self-efficacy (belief in ability), observational learning (modeling), and reciprocal determinism (person-behavior-environment interaction). Success tip: Show patients others like them succeeding. 💚 Health Belief Model (HBM) Behavior change happens when patients perceive threat (susceptibility + severity), see benefits outweighing barriers, feel confident in their ability, and receive cues to action. It’s about shifting perception, not just providing information. ✏️ Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) Three factors predict behavior: attitudes toward the behavior, subjective norms (social pressure), and perceived behavioral control. Address all three for maximum impact. 🔵 Self-Determination Theory (SDT) Lasting change requires fulfilling three psychological needs: Autonomy (choice), Competence (mastery), and Relatedness (connection). Support these, and motivation becomes intrinsic. 💡 Clinical Application: Instead of saying “you need to exercise more,” try: “What type of movement brings you joy?” (SDT) or “What’s worked for you before?” (TTM) or “Who in your life is active?” (SCT). Which behavior change theory resonates most with your clinical practice? How do you help patients move from knowing what to do to actually doing it? #LifestyleMedicine #BehaviorChange #PatientCare #HealthPsychology #ClinicalPractice #HealthCoaching #PreventiveMedicine #HealthcareEducation

Want to change behaviour? Don’t start with knowledge. “Just tell them the facts.” That’s often the default approach in behaviour change, but new research shows it's one of the least effective strategies. A meta-analysis in Nature Reviews Psychology (Alberracin et al,. 2024) reveals that interventions targeting knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes often fail to deliver real-world results. Key themes: 1️⃣ Not all drivers of behaviour are created equal Interventions targeting access, habits, and social support consistently outperform those focusing on knowledge or attitudes. 2️⃣ Correlation ≠ causation Just because a factor (like knowledge) correlates with behaviour doesn’t mean changing it causes behaviour change. The research urges us to rethink how we select intervention targets. 3️⃣ Structural change matters most Social-structural interventions, like improving access or altering defaults, show the largest effects on behaviour. Systems trump sermons. 💡 Why this matters: Organisations and policymakers often rely on education to drive change. But this evidence shows that enabling environments, not just informed individuals, create real impact. We need to move from “awareness campaigns” to “behavioural infrastructure.” Which behavioural driver do you think is most underrated in the workplace? 📉 Final note: The study highlights that many strong correlations in behavioural science don’t translate into effective interventions. Evidence from intervention studies should guide design, not assumptions from correlations alone.

What changes behaviour? It's not what many of us try. We often try to: - Increase knowledge - Change beliefs about consequences - Shape general attitudes - Improve general skills - Sanction certain behaviours But those are not the best strategies. According to a large synthesis of 147 meta-analyses done by Albarracín et al. (2024), the more effective strategies are to: - Provide access to resources that facilitate the behaviour - Establish habits that make the behaviour routine - Provide help with performing the behaviour - Shift attitudes about the behaviour itself - Help people feel they'll fit in by doing the behaviour - Teach skills to execute the behaviour Material incentives can be effective, but the tend to undermine intrinsic motivation to do the behaviour. Sometimes, that doesn't matter, but many times it does. That's why I've not included it in these top six high-impact targets for intervention. Wellbeing and performance are closely connected to behaviours, so to enable flourishing, as individuals or in teams, we need more than just knowledge. We need to change behaviours. The paper is well worth reading. The citation is at the bottom of the graphic. I've reformatted their charts here to put the influences on the same scales. How do these findings fit with your experiences? I'd love to hear.

📢 New Publication Released: AI in Global Public Health Systems I'm pleased to share the publication of a new report synthesizing a series of expert dialogues on the strategic, ethical, and operational dimensions of implementing AI in public health - an excellent partnership between PATH and the OECD through PhixAI to foster the effective scale of AI in Health for everyone, everywhere. Key messages include: ✅ When designing AI for low-resource settings, focus on solutions that work in real-world conditions and fit local workflows. ✅ Put people first through human-centered design, trust-building, and co-creation with health workers and communities. ✅ Move beyond pilots by strengthening oversight, interoperability, life cycle management, financing, and institutional capacity. ✅ Ensure AI is safe, fair, and validated across diverse populations, with robust safeguards against bias and harm. ✅ Embed AI into health systems—not as standalone technologies, but as tools that support sustainable service delivery and better health outcomes. The report highlights that successful AI adoption depends not only on algorithms, but on trust, workforce readiness, data quality and availability, leadership, and long-term planning. Thank you to all of the experts and participants that brought these sessions to life. And thank you to PATH for such an excellent partnership through the entire series. 📄 Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gj53in-6 #ArtificialIntelligence #PublicHealth #GlobalHealth #HealthSystems #DigitalHealth #HealthPolicy #Innovation #ResponsibleAI #HealthEquity #ImplementationScience PATH OECD - OCDE

They're solving the biggest problem in mental health research. And most people don't even know they exist. Yesterday I visited Northwestern University's Lab for Scalable Mental Health in Chicago. While academia pumps out 20,000+ mental health papers annually that never reach real patients, this team is doing something revolutionary: Building interventions that actually work in the real world. Here's what blew my mind: ↳ Their 8-minute loneliness intervention outperformed the 23-minute version ↳ Depression interventions as short as 3 minutes showed the same effectiveness as 15-minute versions ↳ Better completion rates when treatments are shorter ↳ Easier implementation across diverse populations (Citation: https://lnkd.in/esbJaJFM) This changes everything. Most researchers assume "more content = better outcomes." Northwestern proved the opposite. The breakthrough insight? Core therapeutic elements can be preserved in ultra-short formats. Why this matters: ↳ Millions need help but can't commit to long programs ↳ Shorter interventions reach more people ↳ Real-world implementation becomes possible ↳ We can scale evidence-based care globally The mission that drives them: Stop creating interventions that work in labs but fail in communities. I'm collaborating with this incredible team to deliver youth mental health supports across Montana at scale. Because the best research isn't just published. It's implemented. Sometimes the most revolutionary idea isn't adding more. It's proving that less can be more effective. Follow Jessica Schleider, PhD to learn more about her Lab. ================== ⁉️ What if the future of mental health isn't longer therapy—but smarter interventions? ♻️ Share if you believe research should serve real people, not just academic careers. 👉 Follow me for more like this (Eric Arzubi, MD).

Modern Therapeutic Interventions Every Psychologist Must Know Because therapy isn’t what it used to be; it’s evolving, just like the human mind. In today’s rapidly shifting psychological landscape, clients are more informed, diverse, and complex than ever. A therapist’s toolkit must expand beyond traditional CBT and talk therapy to stay relevant and effective. Here are modern, evidence-based interventions that every forward-thinking Psychologist should be equipped with: • Polyvagal-Informed Therapy → Understand the nervous system’s role in trauma, regulation, and connection. → Use tools like breathwork, grounding, and safe cues to rewire safety responses. • Internal Family Systems (IFS) → Recognize “parts” within the client: exiles, managers, and firefighters. → Heal from within by fostering Self-leadership and compassion-based change. • Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) → Ideal for clients stuck in shame or harsh self-criticism. → Builds emotional regulation through self-kindness and affiliation systems. • Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) → Especially powerful for refugees, survivors, and complex trauma cases. → Clients structure their trauma into a coherent story — creating meaning and distance. • Mindfulness-Based Somatic Practices → Go beyond traditional mindfulness into embodiment, movement & trauma release. → Techniques: Somatic Experiencing, TRE (Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises). • ACT 2.0 (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy - Evolved) → The fusion of mindfulness, values, and committed action. → Especially helpful for those feeling “stuck” despite insight. • Digital Mental Health Integration → AI-driven mental health apps, journaling bots, and real-time mood tracking. → Use tech to augment therapy, not replace it. • Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy (Emerging) → With research backing MDMA & Psilocybin for PTSD, depression & existential distress. → Ethical knowledge is a must — even if you’re not practicing it. • Eco-Therapy & Nature-Based Interventions → Acknowledge climate anxiety, digital burnout, and the healing power of nature. → Simple interventions with profound grounding impact. • Biofeedback & Neurofeedback → Real-time insights into brainwaves and physiological states. → Clients learn self-regulation in a data-driven way. Why it matters? Because therapeutic innovation isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. The next generation of psychologists won’t just talk; They’ll decode, rewire, regulate, and co-create healing experiences. Let’s raise the bar. Therapy 3.0 is here. ______________ Salman Khan