Depression has a habit of attaching itself to lots of health problems, not just for the patient, but also sometimes for carers and other family members. This systematic review and meta-analysis looks at the association between activity restriction and depression in medical patients and their caregivers. The review found a clear positive relationship between lack [read the full story…]
This week is mental health awareness week and the Mental Health Foundation are marking the occasion with an awareness raising campaign about sleep. Their Sleep Matters report from January of this year calls for improved access to psychological therapies for people who suffer from insomnia. It highlights that in the UK you are more likely [read the full story…]
The Aussies are at it again with this systematic review which examines the role of oxytocin in mother-infant relations, attachment, and bonding in humans. Oxytocin plays an important role in the reproductive life of mammals. The hormone facilitates nest building and pup retrieval in rats, acceptance of offspring in sheep, and the formation of adult [read the full story…]
There’s an updated Cochrane review which evaluates the effects of naltrexone maintenance treatment versus placebo or other treatments in preventing relapse in opioid addicts after detoxification. The Cochrane reviewers concluded: Oral naltrexone as maintenance treatment to prevent relapse in opioid addicts who have undergone detoxification Opioid dependence is considered to be a lifelong, chronic relapsing [read the full story…]
Researchers at King’s College London have published an interesting paper in the American Journal of Psychiatry, which uses data from the Environmental Risk Longitudinal Twin Study; a cohort study of children in England and Wales born in 1994 and 1995. The research question they posed was whether trauma during childhood such as maltreatment, bullying or [read the full story…]
The Department of Health have today published the framework that informs mental health trusts, PCTs and SHAs of the criteria against which mental health performance will be assessed. This supercedes the guidance published in Nov 2009 and builds on the NHS Performance Framework published last month. Documents and spreadsheets can be found on the DH [read the full story…]
The NHS Confederation Mental Health Network have published another excellent briefing paper aimed at commissioners and providers. This time they are tackling how best to plan and deliver early intervention in psychosis services. Here’s the summary: In the current challenging financial climate, mental health organisations are looking at how they can do things differently to [read the full story…]
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation are about to embark upon a major plan of work on ethnicity and poverty. This review of the evidence summarises the current picture by focusing on: the three main areas affecting experiences of poverty –education, work and unpaid caring; how social networks and place shape experiences and opportunities; inequality within ethnic [read the full story…]
Are your services ‘young people friendly’? Do you involve young people in service improvement? Do you give young people the opportunity to share in decisions about their care and the services available to them? Originally published in 2007, but now updated for 2011: ‘You’re Welcome’: Quality criteria for young people friendly health services (PDF) aims to [read the full story…]
This briefing looks at recent research literature (since 2000) on the move from child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) to adults’ services for young people with psychological, emotional or behavioural problems, referred to as ‘mental health service transitions’. Young people may move to adult mental health services (AMHS) or need alternative support in young [read the full story…]
