Teenagers with depression sometimes do not respond to treatment with SSRI antidepressants and this inevitably leads to a higher cost of treatment. This randomised controlled trial (conducted by researchers from Kaiser Permanente Northwest in Portland, Oregon) set out to evaluate the incremental cost-effectiveness over 24 weeks of combined cognitive behavior therapy plus switch to a different antidepressant [read the full story…]
Major depressive disorder is a prevalent and debilitating condition in elderly patients. It is accompanied by circadian rhythm disturbances associated with impaired functioning of the suprachiasmatic nucleus, the biological clock of the brain. Circadian rhythm disturbances are common in the elderly. Suprachiasmatic nucleus stimulation using bright light treatment may, therefore, improve mood, sleep, and hormonal [read the full story…]
A research team from the University of Bologna in Italy have published a new meta-anlaysis that explores the sequential integration of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy in reducing the risk of relapse and recurrence in major depressive disorder. They searched a range of databases for randomised controlled trials that tested the efficacy of the administration of psychotherapy after successful [read the full story…]
It can be hard to detect and treat depression when it occurs in palliative care because it often presents amongst a multitude of other symptoms. There are obviously many systematic reviews that assess the use of antidepressants as a treatment for various life threatening illnesses, but no previous study has synthesized the evidence in palliative [read the full story…]
This meta-analysis looks to provide reliable evidence about the effectiveness of psychological treatment for depressed inpatients. The authors carried out a systematic search and found 12 studies with a total of 570 respondents. The included studies had sufficient statistical power to detect small effect sizes, there was no significant heterogeneity, there was no indication for significant publication [read the full story…]
This large cohort study looked at whether depression is a risk factor of temporomandibular disorder (TMD). The study used claims data from The National Health Insurance program of Taiwan which covers more than 96% of its 23 million population. From the database 7,587 patients who are newly diagnosed individuals with depression and 30,197 comparison subjects [read the full story…]
Mothers living in socioeconomically deprived communities are vulnerable to anxiety and depression, but traditional medical approaches often fail to reach them. This prospective randomised controlled trial set out to compare the effectiveness of a lengthened multi-disciplinary team consultation with normal primary care in reducing anxiety and depression in mothers. Ninety four mothers were recruited from three general practices from [read the full story…]
Many published guidelines (including the American Psychiatric Association Clinical Practice Guidelines for schizophrenia), recommend second-generation antipsychotics for the treatment of depression in schizophrenia. This study compared a first-generation antipsychotic (perphenazine) with 4 second-generation antipsychotics (olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, and ziprasidone) and the impact these drugs had on the symptoms of depression. The authors used data from the Clinical [read the full story…]
Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa can place considerable strain on families. Parents or partners often care for people with anorexia nervosa and this can be a very distressing experience for them. Carers naturally get very involved, but unfortunately this can sometimes lead to them criticising the sufferer and making the situation worse by contributing [read the full story…]
This systematic review conducted by the UK National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health set out to review the efficacy of non-pharmacological treatment for depression in people with depression and chronic physical health problems. They found 35 RCTs that met their inclusion criteria and ended up conducting a meta-anlalysis of 22 studies using a random-effects model. The bulk [read the full story…]
