The CoBalT trial was published last week in the Lancet. This important randomised controlled trial (RCT) examined the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) as an add-on treatment to usual care for people with treatment resistant depression. Previous studies have shown that only around one third of people with depression respond well to treatment with [read the full story…]
The hallucinations and delusions associated with psychosis can be frightening and may sometimes result in aggressive or violent behaviour. Of course, this can be incredibly challenging for the patient, but it can also be a real test for mental health staff who have to try and minimise the harm that patients do to themselves and others. Haloperidol [read the full story…]
Pathological gambling is defined by DSM-IV as a disorder of impulse control which includes a preoccupation with gambling, failed attempts to reduce gambling, and restlessness or irritability when prevented from gambling. It is likely to be reclassified as an addictive disorder in DSM-V. Gambling is something that most adults dabble in from time to time. [read the full story…]
Much of the research about depression in children and adolescents focuses on how to treat the illness during the acute phase. This review from the Cochrane Depression, Anxiety and Neurosis Review Group is more concerned with the ways in which interventions can be used to prevent relapse or recurrence of depressive disorders. The review looks specifically at two [read the full story…]
We Elves know that exercise is critical in the prevention of disease and evidence for the benefit of exercise in many forms of disease. This is highly relevant as our 5×50 worldwide exercise flash-mob challenge about to start on Friday 23rd November (see earlier post). Don’t forget to sign up for and join the Musculoskeletal [read the full story…]
Are you part of it? Join the Musculoskeletal Elves Team (on the 5×50 registration website #TheMSK_Elf). By running, walking, cycling 5k a day for the 7 days from 23rd to 29th November the organisers aim to cover the equivalent distance of 5 times round the world. It’s not aimed at the fit – it’s about [read the full story…]
We are continuing our theme this week of exercise and physical activity as the 5×50 worldwide exercise flash-mob challenge starts on Friday 23rd November (see earlier post) Do you know anyone who is waiting for a knee or hip joint replacement? They typically experience pain, reduced muscle strength and function. So how can they prepare [read the full story…]
As you’ve probably gathered by now, we Musculoskeletal Elves are pretty keen to promote psychosocial interventions in the management of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). In a previous post I looked at behavioural change interventions, such as, motivational interviewing (MI) with individuals with rheumatoid and osteoarthritis. But how effective is MI, as ‘‘a directive, client-centred counselling style for eliciting behaviour change by [read the full story…]
Talking treatments are a key component of the therapy offered to people with borderline personality disorder and there are now a number of studies that point to the importance of these interventions for this complex and hard to manage condition. A new randomised controlled trial conducted by a research team from the Centre for Addiction [read the full story…]
Tooth extraction is probably the most commonly conducted surgical procedure. Teeth are normally extracted because of severe dental caries or periodontal (gum) infection, although they are also removed because they are poorly aligned or developed. To aim of this Cochrane review was to determine the effect of antibiotic prophylaxis on the development of infectious complications [read the full story…]
