Clare Mackay

Thanks to Oxford Sparks for the opportunity to talk about BFRBs!

Proud moment as the first BFRB research study from the University of Oxford has been published. Great summary thread here from Polly…

Picuture showing forthcoming book, called 'Keep your hair on: understanding urges to pick, pull and bite' by Clare Mackay, which will be launched in April 2026

Big news!

I loved researching and writing this book, which is all about shedding the shame, and getting really curious about urges to pick, pull and bite.

I can't wait to share it with you! It's out on April 2nd, and is available to pre-order now.

#bfrb #bfrbs #bodyfocusedrepetitivebehaviors

And we’re off! Oxford’s first neurodiversity conference. Massive effort from @ndv-andreiascosta.bsky.social and her army of volunteers. Looking forward to a great couple of days. #ohbrcNFconference

📢 September is #WorldAlzheimer’sMonth, a time to raise awareness and support those affected by #dementia

Our OH BRC Dementia Theme is pioneering research to shift dementia care from reactive treatment to proactive prevention and personalised management.

🌐 Learn more tinyurl.com/yefntkx2

Acute isolation is associated with increased reward seeking and reward learning in human adolescents - Communications Psychology This study shows that, following social isolation, adolescents show increased sensitivity to rewards during effort-based decision making and reward learning. Access to virtual social interactions duri...

Following social isolation, adolescents show increased sensitivity to rewards during effort-based decision making and reward learning.
@livia-tomova.bsky.social @sjblakemore.bsky.social @emilyanntowner.bsky.social @stepalminteri.bsky.social @lei-zhang.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s44...

Oxford BFRB Conference - YouTube Talks from the Oxford BFRB Conference, 13th Sept 2024

Thank you! We will do it again - hopefully in 2026. Meanwhile all of the talks from last year are available on my YouTube channel. youtube.com/playlist?lis...

The 6 things everyone should know about body-focused repetitive behaviours (BFRBs) Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

The 6 things everybody should know about body focused repetitive behaviours (BFRBs)👇

In this new video, Professor Clare Mackay - aka The Trich Prof - shares the things she wished more people knew about BFRBs: tinyurl.com/4hbybrp2

@claremackay.bsky.social

YouTube video by The Trich Prof The 6 things everyone should know about body-focused repetitive behaviours (BFRBs)

And now there is a video version… please share! youtu.be/Rkc-vpXJ8Bw?...

Thank you Lottie!

Congratulations Steve!!

Congratulations to Steve Smith @fmrib-steve.bsky.social for winning the OHBM 2025 Glass Brain Award! This lifetime achievement award recognises extraordinary contributions that drive the field forward - and we can't think of anyone more deserving. 👏👏👏

Fantastic 👏👏👏

And for the first time we’ll be exploring the prevalence and impact of body focused repetitive behaviours (BFRBs) in a subset. So exciting!

Psychological distress over 30 years in Great Britain: the times they are a changin’ (or are they?) buff.ly/qpu4p0f

🧵 THREAD

#MentalHealth #PsychologicalDistress #Surveys #GB #30years

Oxford Brain Health Clinic is leading the way in dementia research participation. Be inspired this #ClinicalTrialsDay and see how you can #BePartOfResearch.

oxfordhealthbrc.nihr.ac.uk/oxford-brain...

@claremackay.bsky.social ay.bsky.social @oxfordpsychiatry.bsky.social

A new publication from University of Bath DClinPsy on #hairpulling #trichotillomania where I was #ExpertByExperience and external supervisor.

Congratulations

🎉 Huge congratulations to all the @medsci.ox.ac.uk teams and individuals nominated in @ox.ac.uk VC Awards.

The winners were announced at a ceremony hosted by the Vice-Chancellor yesterday.

View the winners and highly commended nominations 👉 hr.admin.ox.ac.uk/vice-chancel...

“Things like obesity and physical inactivity affect our heart health and research shows they also affect our brains – potentially as early as adolescence. This means that simple lifestyle changes, like eating healthier and moving more, could protect our long-term brain health.” Holly Haines, Research Assistant, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford

Holly Haines is a Research Assistant in the Department of Psychiatry and Dementia Theme Co-Ordinator at Oxford Health BRC. She highlights that what’s good for the heart is good for the brain – and research shows that this is true throughout the lifespan, even for children and teenagers.

This #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek we asked researchers what one fact they wished more people knew about brain and mental health.

#ThisIsMyCommunity #MHAWeek2025 #mentalhealth

Eventually get round to rebooking. Tried to book at same time as hubby = impossible (we see different availability). Chose slot from inconvenient options, system says 'that slot is no longer available'.

I GIVE UP!

Altruism/civic duty shouldn't be this hard! (3/3)

#nhs #givingblood

In 2025 I have to... Create an account, make a booking (v limited slots, mostly inconvenient times), booking cancelled on the day of the apt, get a call from blood donation service to rebook, no slots available - embarrased tele-guy told me to look out for cancelations (!) (2/3)

Rants about things that used to be easy and are now really hard...

Giving blood

I used to be a regular. I would rock up to a clinic at the hospital where I work, deliver my pint of blood, and be back at my desk within 30 mins

1/3

A graphic displaying 6 different mental health helplines to call during mental health awareness week: - Samaritans (116 123) - Rethink Mental Illness (0808 801 0525) - The Mix (online chat service - themix.org.uk - CALMzone (0800 58 58 58) - Shout (text SHOUT to 85258) - YoungMinds (0808 802 5544)

🎉 It's #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek!

💜 Join us. Share this post so that people know where to turn for support.

Thank you @rethinkcharity.bsky.social for giving BFRBs the prominence they deserve on your website! www.rethink.org/advice-and-i...

University of Oxford. What do you think about self-diagnosis of mental disorders? Are you: - A UK based psychiatrist who works with adolescents (aged 10-24 years) - Available for a 45 minute online interview Come take part in our study! Contact: sara.svobodova@bnc.ox.ac.uk or lucy.foulkes@psych.ox.ac.uk for more information

Are you a UK psychiatrist with views to share about self-diagnosis?

We’re looking for UK-based psychiatrists who work with young people aged 10–24 and would be available to take part in a 45-minute online interview

(cont below)

PLEASE SHARE WIDELY 🤩

Fig. 2 Marginal estimates of stigma-related attitudes (CAMI), knowledge (MAKS) and desire for social distance (RIBS intended behaviour), by year (95% confidence intervals). CAMI, Community Attitudes toward the Mentally Ill scale; MAKS, Mental Health Knowledge Schedule; RIBS, Reported and Intended Behaviour Scale.

I've just come across this, published last year, and the findings are surprising and important

Public attitudes towards people with mental health problems improved from 2008 to 2019 - but then *decreased*. Found across three measures of stigma.

Why?

tinyurl.com/mvuhvz3r

(cont)

Like many others, we’ve left X so we’re new around here - and with a new name too (formerly Dunhill Medical Trust). We’re looking forward to connecting with those who have great ideas and methods for improving the health and well-being of older people.

And it’s exciting to see what the fabulous @fmrib-karla.bsky.social will bring to the next phase of OxCIN! The future is bright.

End of an (excellent) era. @heidijoberg.bsky.social gives her last ever WIN talk. It’s been a blast, an honour and a privilege to be involved throughout.