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…]
NHS patients will have more freedom to choose where they go for their healthcare from April 2012, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley announced today. More choice will mean that when patients are referred for selected services, usually by their GP, they should be able to choose from a range of qualified providers who meet NHS quality, [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…]
More than 76 million people worldwide have alcohol problems, and another 15 million have drug problems. Motivational interviewing (MI) is a psychological treatment that aims to help people cut down or stop using drugs and alcohol. The drug abuser and counsellor typically meet between one and four times for about one hour each time. The [read the full story…]
This randomised controlled trial published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry looks at the effectiveness of a new cognitive-behavioural parenting-based approach for treating anxiety in young children. Timid to Tiger is an entirely parenting-based approach to managing anxiety in children aged nine years or below. It is based on evidence that anxious children benefit [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 care recommendation produced by Drew H. Barzman (Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center) sets out to answer the following question: Among children with ADHD and aggression, is the pharmacological treatment of ADHD, versus no pharmacological treatment of ADHD, effective in reducing aggressive behaviour? The authors searched Medline, PsychInfo, the National Guidelines [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…]
This small randomised controlled trial conducted in Pittsburgh set out to compare community-provided trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy (TF-CBT) with usual community treatment for children with intimate partner violence (IPV)-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The trial randomised 124 children (7-14 year olds) to receive 8 sessions of TF-CBT or usual care (child-centered therapy). A number of [read the full story…]
