Depression is a serious mental health threat proclaimed to be the greatest disease burden in the industrialised world by 2020 (Simon, 2003). In the pharmaceutical combat against depression, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the current treatment of choice. Indeed, SSRIs are the most prescribed antidepressant medicine (Helms & Eric, 2006). As the name suggests, they increase [read the full story…]
There is a limited amount of good quality research being published about bipolar disorder, particularly investigating the early stages. Bipolar is associated with a high risk of relapse and this risk of relapse increases with the number of previous episodes. Observational studies suggest that early intervention may improve both course and outcome, but currently progression [read the full story…]
This latest critical summary prepared under the auspices of the ADA Center for Evidence Based Dentistry looks at a 2012 meta-analysis by Kühnisch et al that looks at the retention rates of pit and fissure sealants. The results of the meta-analysis suggest that resin-based sealants have the highest retention rates at 5-years. The appraiser notes [read the full story…]
Talking therapies for mental disorders are an ever-expanding field, with variations in treatments appearing all the time. It can be hard to know which treatment path to recommend to a patient, or which one you might choose for yourself. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterised by episodes of low mood, loss of self-esteem and interest [read the full story…]
Most of us care about our health (something we elves encourage) but for up to 5% of people, worrying about health has become a significant problem in itself. Severe health anxiety, or hypochondriasis, is said to exist when someone holds a strong fear of having a serious disease, despite all medical assurances to the contrary. [read the full story…]
Here at Mental Elf HQ, several new pieces of research relating to yoga have come our way. This blog is the first in a series examining the mental health effects of engaging in yoga. Yoga is a form of exercise (largely comprising physical postures and breathing) which originated in India over 5,000 years ago. Many [read the full story…]
Smoking continues to be the greatest single preventable cause of premature illness and death in developed countries. Although rates of smoking have fallen, over 20% of the adult population in the UK continues to smoke. Anything which can be done to help people stop smoking will therefore have substantial public health benefits. More and more [read the full story…]
Depression is one of the most common mental health problems, with around 1 in 5 people in the UK suffering from depression during their lifetime (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2012) including an estimated 4% of children (NHS Choices, 2012). Treatments for depression are different in children and young people, for example some antidepressant medications used [read the full story…]
People with schizophrenia are 2-3 times more likely to smoke tobacco than the rest of the population, so helping them quit is a significant public health issue. The evidence for smoking cessation interventions in the general population is fairly well defined. We know quite a bit about what works and we have a range of [read the full story…]
Making the decision to consent to medical treatment requires access to information, presented in clear and understandable ways. There is evidence that that people with learning disabilities do not always understand information about medications they are prescribed, for example from the medication matters project carried out at the Norah Fry centre which produced a series of [read the full story…]
