Improving diagnosis of bipolar disorder: can blood-based diagnostic panels help?

4279057066_8bd5ec1411_b

Can blood-based diagnostic panels help us reduce the misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment often experienced by people with bipolar disorder? Murtada Alsaif reviews a recent retrospective study that has some encouraging findings for biologically identifying the disease.

[read the full story...]

Building RAPPORT between researchers and lay people

15938184821_b927f7f7e2_k

Lucy Simons highlights the RAPPORT study and the importance of strong relationships between PPI (patient and public involvement) representatives and researchers, which are seen to be essential for PPI to become normal practice in research.

[read the full story...]

#Mindtech2015 Evidence-based research and fast paced technology development

Screen Shot 2015-12-03 at 14.48.06

André Tomlin presents the text of his debate talk from the #Mindtech2015 conference: Trials or Tripadvisor – “This house believes that robust user review is sufficient to evaluate most digital mental health apps”.

[read the full story...]

Suicide risk assessment and intervention: need for a new approach?

A young man suffering from Social Anxiety stands alone as a group of people walk past rapidly

Olivia Kirtley and Alys Cole-King consider the implications of a new BMJ review on suicide risk assessment and intervention in people with mental illness.

[read the full story...]

Reducing antipsychotic use in people with dementia living in nursing homes

4084077420_07fba1a9a3_o

Clarissa Giebel highlights a recent RCT, which concludes that antipsychotic use by people with dementia in nursing homes can be effectively reduced through the use of a review protocol, which includes regular scrutiny of prescriptions and targeted education for physicians and nurses.

[read the full story...]

Community treatment orders still don’t work at 36 months: OCTET trial follow up

124733297_cf0c684a8f_o

Raphael Underwood presents the 3 year follow up of the OCTET trial of community treatment orders for people with psychosis, which finds no significant difference on readmission or disengagement for patients on CTOs compared to those discharged to voluntary status via Section 17 leave.

[read the full story...]

Does parental drinking influence children’s drinking?

12429334035_337ea09d7c_o

Natasha Clarke helps us understand a recent systematic review of prospective cohort studies, which explores the links between parental alcohol drinking and alcohol consumption in their offspring.

[read the full story...]

CBT for insomnia in people with active psychotic symptoms

9383490781_e6ba0bba82_k

Sarah McDonald appraises the Better Sleep Trial (BEST), a pilot RCT which shows that CBT may be a promising treatment for insomnia in people with active psychotic symptoms.

[read the full story...]

Work Capability Assessments linked with increase in suicides

13903379060_65bd06a926_k

Ian Cummins considers the findings of a recent longitudinal study that measures the impact that welfare reform and disability assessments have had on mental illness and rates of suicide.

[read the full story...]