This review of a link between past dental visits/check-ups and the incidence cancers of head and neck includes 38 studies the majority of which are case-controlled studies. The findings suggest that those are irregular of never attenders are more likely to have head and neck cancer.
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Nia Oxbourgh summarises a recent study of the outcomes of mental health screening (the screen and treat programme) for UK nationals affected by the 2015-2016 terrorist attacks in Tunisia, Paris and Brussels.
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Joanne Wallace summarises a systematic review that highlights disparities in the management of cardiovascular risk factors in people with mental illness.
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André Tomlin shares his own experiences of being diagnosed with postnatal depression and wonders how we can improve screening for other fathers at risk during the perinatal period.
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This Cochrane review of school dental screening included 6 RCTs finding insufficient evidence that it improves dental attendance. although personalised referral letters or additional motivation elements probably have the ability to improve dental attendance over the short term.
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Andrew Sommerlad reviews a new systematic review and meta-analysis and asks: Can two questions identify depression in older people?
This is the second in a new series of Mental Elf blogs produced in partnership with the British Journal of Psychiatry.
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This review of school-based screening for dental disease identified 5 cluster trials finding no evidence to support or refute the clinical benefits or harms of dental screening.
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Linda Gask writes her debut Mental Elf blog on a recent systematic review, which evaluates healthcare team training programs that aim to improve depression in primary care.
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Ian Anderson on a recent diagnostic accuracy meta-analysis, which shows that the Whooley questions for depression are effective at ruling out the condition, but that false positives are common.
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Sally Adams summarises a meta-analysis of specialty substance use disorder services following brief alcohol intervention, which finds a lack of evidence for SBIRTs despite the widespread public health support for this type of programme.
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