We have posted previously about the impact of carer attributions regarding the behaviour of people with learning disabilities and the impact these can have on carer responses. The authors of this systematic review were interested in the effects of carer training in challenging and complex behaviour. The researchers searched the literature and included papers that [read the full story…]
NICE guidance recommends offering CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy), family therapy and arts therapies for people with schizophrenia: Offer CBT to all people with schizophrenia. This can be started either during the acute phase or later, including in inpatient settings. – Taken from 1.3.4.1 in Schizophrenia (CG82). NICE, March 2009. However, CBT is still not widely [read the full story…]
There is an enormous body of research concerned with schizophrenia and the use of antipsychotic drugs. A quick search on PubMed for ‘schizophrenia, antipsychotics and randomised controlled trials’ brings back nearly 2,000 articles! The authors of a new systematic review and meta analysis published today in the Lancet, suggest that one area that has not [read the full story…]
I’ve blogged before about the association between stroke and depression. It seems logical that people who have strokes are at risk of depression afterwards, but studies have also shown a more concrete relationship between the two conditions. This new meta-analysis conducted by a research team from Soochow University in China looks at prospective studies to [read the full story…]
Some readers will be aware that the Mental Elf is no loner. I have a number of elfin cousins who also run websites that help busy professionals keep up to date with the latest research, policy and guidance in their field. One such site is The Lifestyle Elf, and she has written a blog recently [read the full story…]
This is one in a series of 5 systematic reviews commissioned by the Department of Health, which seek to establish a comprehensive understanding of the distribution and pattern of psychotic disorders in England, between 1950 and 2009. All mental health professionals, commissioners and health planners will find this research relevant to their work. It’s well [read the full story…]
People with Alzheimer’s disease experience a loss of nerve cells that use a chemical called acetylcholine as a chemical messenger. Dementia symptoms become more severe as more nerve cells are lost. Cholinesterase inhibitors are a group of drugs (including donepezil, rivastigmine and galantamine) that prevent the enzyme acetylcholinesterase from breaking down acetylcholine in the brain. [read the full story…]
Around 10% of children are diagnosed with anxiety disorders before the age of 16 and for many this can be a long lasting problem that has a major impact on their development. There’s lots of research in this field and many systematic reviews have been conducted to assess the effectiveness of talking treatments for this [read the full story…]
People with chronic mental illnesses such as schizophrenia often struggle to cope with the basic tasks that life throws at them. Their health condition and the often debilitating effects of medication can make simple things like going to the shop or cleaning the house almost insurmountable hurdles. Various rehabilitation therapies are used to help people [read the full story…]
For many different reasons, people with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders have a greater risk of type 2 diabetes. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes in people with schizophrenia is twice that of the general population. This review looked for evidence of the efficacy of interventions to help people with schizophrenia manage their diabetes. Clinical question [read the full story…]
