The authors of this paper set out to look at rates of sexual abuse and interpersonal trauma in people with learning disability. They hoped to explore the relationship between such trauma and psychological distress and to describe a psychotherapeutic intervention for such people. The findings from a review of the literature suggested an inverse relationship [read the full story…]
This paper set out to describe the value of using family systems theory as a meta-theory in psychotherapy with people with persons with learning disabilities and their families at different stages of the family life cycle. Family systems theory views the family as an emotional unit and uses systems thinking to describe the complex interactions [read the full story…]
It’s a sad fact of life that as people get older they sometimes find themselves living a lonely lifestyle; cut off from stimulating social networks and all of the activities and benefits that friendships entail. Social exclusion and a lack of frequent interaction may predict impaired cognition in the older members of the population. Researchers [read the full story…]
The Royal College of Psychiatrists has today published a new report into the mental health of students in higher education. The report calls for more investment in mental health support for university students, amid concerns that some students with mental health problems may be missing out on the help they need. The College published its [read the full story…]
This week’s British Medical Journal features a review of depression in later life. The authors bring together recent systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and randomised controlled trials to summarise best current knowledge about the diagnosis and management of patients who develop depression in later life. The review addresses the following questions: What is late life depression and [read the full story…]
The evidence-base for psychodynamic psychotherapy is growing. A meta-analysis by Shedler published in early 2010 showed that the effect sizes for psychodynamic therapy can be as large as for other ’empirically supported treatments’. However, there are fewer high quality studies available that look at the effectiveness of these therapies for young people. This systematic review [read the full story…]
Research shows that using antidepressants (serotonin reuptake inhibitors, SRIs) to treat obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in young people is sometimes problematic. Patients often do not respond to the drugs and so other therapies are necessary to augment the treatment. One such therapy is CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy). This 12-week randomised controlled trial took 124 paediatric [read the full story…]
The Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme aims to provide evidence-based psychological therapies for people with depression and anxiety disorders. The NHS Information Centre have published the first set of key performance indicators for the programme, which aim to provide the Department of Health, IAPT services, commissioners and members of the public with information on [read the full story…]
There are a number of studies that show the positive impact that cognitive behavioural therapy can have on the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This randomised controlled trial conducted by researchers in Denmark sought to shed some light on the effectiveness of group cognitive behavioural therapy compared to individual CBT. 110 outpatients with OCD were [read the full story…]
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a group of behavioural symptoms that include inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. ADHD is often thought of as a childhood problem, but it can be a lifelong condition, and many children continue to have symptoms as a teenager and adult. It is estimated that nearly two-thirds of children with ADHD [read the full story…]
