Polypharmacy for major depression: is practice evidence-based?

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Jessica Bone reports on a recent cross-sectional study that looks at the clinical correlates of augmentation/combination treatment strategies in major depressive disorder.

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Non-medical use of prescription drugs #NonMedicalDrugs

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Ian Hamilton and Julia Buxton from the University of York preview the #NonMedicalDrugs event that will take place in York on Friday 16th March 2018.

The meeting will bring together people who can offer personal and professional insights of the extent of the issue and how we can support people who develop problems.

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SSRIs and suicidality: effects of SSRIs on rating-scale-assessed suicidality in adults with depression

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Rina Dutta and Patrick McLaughlin summarise a new study looking at the effects of SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) on rating-scale-assessed suicidality in adults with depression.

This study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry supports the conclusion that SSRIs remain a safe and effective treatment in depression for those aged 18 and over.

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Antidepressants can help adults with major depression

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André Tomlin reports on a new network meta-analysis that brings together the best available evidence comparing the efficacy and acceptability of 21 antidepressants for the acute treatment of adults with major depressive disorder.

This groundbreaking review of 522 trials is the largest ever meta-analysis in psychiatry, and finds that antidepressants are more effective than placebo for short-term treatment of acute depression in adults.

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What causes emotional blunting in people taking antidepressants? Results from a survey

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Linda Gask looks at a recent survey of people with depression that explores their experiences of emotional blunting. The research finds that nearly half of depressed patients on antidepressants report significant emotional blunting, but it’s impossible to say whether this is caused by their medication or the depression itself.

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Antidepressants for depression in schizophrenia: when good-enough evidence is good enough

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Carmine Pariante is positive about a recent systematic review and meta-analysis of antidepressants for the treatment of depression in schizophrenia.

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How consistent are international treatment guidelines for bipolar disorder?

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Steven Marwaha publishes his debut blog on a review article that asks if there is consensus across international evidence-based guidelines for the management of bipolar disorder.

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Medication for mental health: Oral health impacts

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This review of the side effects of medications prescribed for the management of mental health highlights their potential impact on oral health. The commonest problems being xerostomia.

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Off-label antidepressants: limited evidence to support their use

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John Baker reports on Canadian study looking at prescriptions of off-label antidepressants in primary care, which concludes that when antidepressants were used outside of their licence, there was usually not strong evidence supporting the respective indication.

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Antidepressants for depression in Alzheimer’s Disease

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The EQUATOR Publication School #EQPubSchool group summarise a systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy of antidepressants for depression in Alzheimer’s Disease, which finds no statistical difference between antidepressants and placebo.

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