Psychological therapies given to people with depression, anxiety or mixed disorders in primary care are usually delivered over a shorter time period than in secondary care. In the UK, 6 sessions is a common treatment length, which contrasts to the 12-24 sessions that have been the subject of most trials of psychological therapies in secondary care [read the full story…]
A new meta-analysis published in the African Journal of Psychiatry investigates the efficacy of psychological treatments for depression and anxiety disorders in low and middle income countries. To date there has perhaps existed a view that psychological mindedness is missing amongst the population of developing countries. There is good evidence that psychological treatments work as [read the full story…]
Researchers from the VU University in Amsterdam and the EMGO Institute have published a nice summary of the effects of psychotherapies for adult depression. The study summarises a series of meta-analyses that they have carried out, to measure the strength of the evidence for the different types of psychotherapy in treating different types of depression. Here’s what [read the full story…]
Older people who suffer from depression and executive dysfunction experience significant levels of disability and often don’t respond well to conventional drug treatments. This randomised controlled trial conducted by researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College in New York State, attempted to find out if problem-solving therapy is better than supportive therapy for reducing disability in older [read the full story…]
The objective of this cost-utility analysis was to assess the cost-effectiveness of providing group cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), compared with routine primary care, for women with postnatal depression in the UK. Group CBT was compared with routine primary care for women with postnatal depression, defined by their Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score, with scores ranging [read the full story…]
Treating depression is rarely straightforward, but treating someone who is depressed and also has comorbid personality disorders can be even more complicated. Studies have shown that short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (STPP) is a treatment worth considering for depression and personality disorders when they occur individually, but this intervention has not yet been studied systematically for people [read the full story…]
This systematic literature review, conducted by the Swedish Council on Health Technology Assessment, scrutinises the scientific evidence for preventive medical and psychological interventions directed at sex offenders. The review found major weaknesses in the evidence base and concluded that: In the absence of findings from reliable research, a reasonable treatment and follow-up strategy might be [read the full story…]
Researchers from Manchester University have conducted one of the largest randomised controlled trials ever undertaken to investigate self-harm in adolescents. The trial published in the BMJ examined the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of group therapy for self harm in young people by randomising 366 patients to: Manual based developmental group therapy programme specifically designed for adolescents [read the full story…]
Teenagers with depression sometimes do not respond to treatment with SSRI antidepressants and this inevitably leads to a higher cost of treatment. This randomised controlled trial (conducted by researchers from Kaiser Permanente Northwest in Portland, Oregon) set out to evaluate the incremental cost-effectiveness over 24 weeks of combined cognitive behavior therapy plus switch to a different antidepressant [read the full story…]
NHS patients will have more freedom to choose where they go for their healthcare from April 2012, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley announced today. More choice will mean that when patients are referred for selected services, usually by their GP, they should be able to choose from a range of qualified providers who meet NHS quality, [read the full story…]
