#UnderstandingPsychosis?

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Sameer Jauhar and Paul Morrison consider the revised Understanding Psychosis and Schizophrenia report from the British Psychological Society Division of Clinical Psychology, which includes updated sections on definitions, aetiology and treatment.

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Tetris for PTSD: behavioural intervention unlikely to vaccinate against intrusions

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Ioana Cristea disputes the claims of a recent proof-of-concept RCT, which aims to prevent intrusive memories after trauma via a brief intervention involving Tetris computer game play in the emergency department.

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Probiotics for depression: robust and compelling evidence?

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A team from the Centre for Affective Disorders at King’s College London appraise a new systematic review on probiotics for depression, which claims to have found robust and compelling evidence that these supplements can alleviate depressive symptoms.

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CBTp changes the brain’s wiring? Extraordinary claims, ordinary evidence

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Keith Laws and Samei Huda are not impressed by a study on brain connectivity changes following CBT for psychosis, which received a significant amount of press coverage when it was published back in January.

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Can network meta-analysis decide the best psychosocial intervention for bipolar disorder?

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Guy Goodwin and Andrea Cipriani highlight a number of methodological concerns in a new network meta-analysis of psychosocial therapies for the adjunctive treatment of bipolar disorder.

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The vexing challenge of suicide prevention: a research informed perspective on a recent systematic review

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Stanley Kutcher and Yifeng Wei provide an in-depth analysis of a recent systematic review of suicide prevention strategies.

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Acupuncture for mild cognitive impairment: rubbish in, rubbish out

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Edzard Ernst shines a light on the unfounded claims presented in a meta-analysis published today on acupuncture for amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

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safeTALK for youth suicide prevention: new review finds no evidence of safety or efficacy

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Olivia Kirtley and Alys Cole-King appraise a new systematic review of the safeTALK school and community based youth suicide prevention intervention, which finds no evidence of safety or efficacy for this well established programme.

The blog also features a podcast featuring Olivia and Alys, along with Professor Stanley Kutcher, the lead author of this new review.

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Music therapy for depression in older adults: How can I be sure of you?

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Dave Steele appraises a systematic review that reports music therapy combined with standard therapies is effective for treating depressive symptoms in older adults. He’s unconvinced by these claims and would like a bit more harmony in the evidence-base before striking up the band.

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Psychotherapy for people with learning disabilities: the views and experiences of IAPT practitioners

Psychological therapists and occupational therapists were not included in this qualitative study of 27 mental health staff, which is a shame.

Reed Cappleman critiques a recent study of IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Treatments) practitioners’ experiences of providing therapy to people with intellectual disabilities.

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