Elena is a research assistant at the National Collaborating Centre for Mental health and University College London. She has completed a BSc in Psychology at Warwick University and an MSc in Psychiatric Research at the Institute of Psychiatry (King’s College London). Her role currently involves reviewing evidence for the development of NICE clinical guidelines. These have recently included: Bipolar disorder (update), Antenatal and Postnatal Mental Health (update) and Challenging Behaviour and Learning Disabilities. Her research interests include stigma and discrimination, psychological therapies for serious mental illness, and service user empowerment and patient choice in care and treatment.
Elena Marcus reports on a systematic review and meta-analysis of participants’ mindfulness practice and its association with outcomes, which found a small but significant association between practice and outcomes.
Elena Marcus appraises a recent systematic review and meta-analysis of premature mortality in bipolar affective disorder, which finds that people with bipolar disorder have increased mortality rates compared with the general population.
Elena Marcus appraises a recent meta-analysis of screening for bipolar spectrum disorders, which concludes that the MDQ and HCL-32 tools are supported by more evidence than the BSDS tool.
Elena Marcus finds inconclusive results in this recent systematic review of psychological therapy for anxiety in bipolar spectrum disorders, which includes trials of CBT, mindfulness based cognitive therapy and stress management therapy.
Elena Marcus summarises a recent network meta-analysis published in The Lancet of the comparative efficacy and tolerability of medication for the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder.
Elena Marcus summarises a double case-cohort study, which investigates the risk of suicide and criminal behaviours in people with bipolar disorder and their siblings, compared with the general population.
Elena Marcus writes her debut blog on a total population study that finds some interesting associations between bipolar disorder and leadership potential, executive roles and political professions.
