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Co-rumination has maladaptive (repetitive, unproductive discussion of problems) components, but also shows an association with friendship satisfaction. The current review found that co-rumination has small-moderate association with depression and anxiety. Practitioners should be aware of the way in which people discuss affective distress with others.

The findings suggest that attitudes to obsessive-compulsive problems are likely to be complex and that help-seeking influences may vary across the different subtypes of this disorder. The implications for people seeking help for obsessive-compulsive problems are pointed out.

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Social recovery has become a prominent aspect of mental health service design and delivery in the past decade. Much of the literature on social recovery is derived from first-person accounts or primary research with adult service users experiencing severe mental illness. There is a lack of both theoretical and empirical work which could inform consideration of how the concept of social recovery might apply to adolescents experiencing common (non-psychotic) mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. The current study was conducted to understand the process of experiencing anxiety and depression in young people. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine adolescents with anxiety and depression (seven girls and two boys aged 14 to 16) and twelve mothers who were recruited from a specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service in the South of England. Thematic analysis indicated that young people do experience a process of 'recovery'; the processes participants described have some congruence with the earlier stages of adult recovery models involving biographical disruption and the development of new meanings, in this case of anxiety or depression, and changes in sense of identity. The accounts diverge with regard to later stages of adult models involving the development of hope and responsibility. The findings suggest that services should attend to social isolation and emphasise support for positive aspirations for future selves whilst also attending to young people's and parents' expectations about change. Methodological challenges face enquiry about 'recovery' given its connotations with cure in everyday language.

Research investigating the impact and experience of first episode psychosis amongst siblings is limited. This study reports the findings of a narrative analysis of the accounts of four siblings, two male and two female, aged between 17 and 24 years, of young people with a first episode of psychosis. The aim of the analysis was to explore the impact of this experience on siblings' sense of self and their identity development and the roles they adopt within their families. The analysis focussed on the core narrative, tone and genre of each account as well as providing a cross-case analysis.This cross-case analysis indicated an overarching genre of 'rite of passage' within which a gender difference was interpreted. The emphasis in the accounts of the two young women was on finding personal meaning whereas, for the two young men, the emphasis was on taking up responsibilities. As found in other studies of serious mental health problems, siblings provide much direct and indirect care for their families. The implications for services providing support to siblings and families in early intervention services are discussed.2

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Self‐criticism is the process of negative self‐evaluation. High levels are associated with psychopathology and poorer therapeutic outcomes. Self‐compassion interventions were developed to explicitly target self‐criticism. The aim of this review was to estimate the overall effect of self‐compassion‐related interventions on self‐criticism outcomes and investigate potential moderating variables. A systematic search of the literature identified 20 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that met the inclusion criteria. Nineteen papers, involving 1350 participants, had sufficient data to be included in the meta‐analysis. Pre‐ and post‐data points were extracted for the compassion and control groups. Study quality was assessed using an adapted version of the Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tool, which concluded that studies were of moderate quality. Meta‐analysis findings indicated that self‐compassion‐related interventions produce a significant, medium reduction in self‐criticism in comparison with control groups (Hedges' g = 0.51, 95% CI [0.33–0.69]). Moderator analysis found greater reductions in self‐criticism when self‐compassion‐related interventions were longer and compared with passive controls rather than active. The remaining moderators of forms of self‐criticism, sample type, intervention delivery, intervention setting and risk of bias ratings were insignificant. Overall, the review provides promising evidence of the effectiveness of self‐compassion‐related interventions for reducing self‐criticism. However, results are limited by moderate quality studies with high heterogeneity. Directions for future research indicate that more RCTs with active controls, follow‐ups, consistent use and reporting of measures and diverse samples are needed.