Following on from my post yesterday about screening tools for depression in later life, here is a new meta-analysis that explores the efficacy of antidepressants for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) in patients aged ≥ 55 years. The researchers from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in Italy just searched PubMed for [read the full story…]
We know that exercise helps people who are going through mental health difficulties, but how can we encourage people to become more active? Exercise referral schemes aim to identify inactive adults in the primary care setting. The GP or healthcare professional then refers the patient to a third-party service, with this service taking responsibility for [read the full story…]
The demand for psychological therapies far outstrips the supply and in this ongoing period of austerity we surely need to produce some cost-effective alternatives. One method that patients can attempt pretty much on their own is self-help provided through books, CDs, DVDs and websites. This new systematic review claims to be the first to bring [read the full story…]
Chronic periodontitis affects between 5-20% of the population. Scaling and root planing (SRP) is one of the most effective methods of treatment. The aim of this review was to assess whether the adjunct of amoxicillin and metronidazole (AMX/MET) to SRP increased its effectiveness compared to SRP alone. The authors searched eight databases and hand-searched a [read the full story…]
If you are a doctor, nurse or pharmacist involved in the care of patients with depression, you may like to take this self-directed learning module on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) antidepressants produced by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The free online training outlines the key risks of this important class of [read the full story…]
All mental health professionals are well aware that depression and alcohol misuse frequently go hand in hand. One condition often complicates and affects the outcome of the other. NICE guidelines recommend treating the alcohol problems first and then after 3-4 weeks of abstinence focus on treating the comorbid mental illness if it’s still present. This [read the full story…]
Bipolar disorder is a complex health condition and the diagnosis of bipolar depression is a fairly contentious topic. This is because depression occurs in bipolar disorder alongside a wide range of symptoms of mood elevation. Some patients have depressive episodes as well as severely elevated mood during the course of their illness, whereas other patients [read the full story…]
The need for appropriately supported accommodation for people with learning disabilities continues to rise as people naturally move from family homes to their own. Controlling costs of support has always been a major concern for the paying authorities, but this is particularly true in the current climate of financial constraint. They key challenge is how [read the full story…]
This is an unusual randomised controlled trial conducted by a research team from Arkin Institute for Mental Health in Amsterdam and funded by Eli Lilly. The study measures social functioning as an outcome, as well as the more commonly measured depression symptoms. It aims to find out how much psychotherapy is optimal for depressed people [read the full story…]
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a condition that is usually associated with obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviour. It’s one of the most common mental health problems in young people, with an estimated 5% of children and teenagers suffering from the chronic condition. Studies have shown that SSRI antidepressants and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) are both [read the full story…]
