Susie Johnson
Sleep disruption during and after pregnancy may be associated with postpartum mental illness
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Susie Johnson summarises a systematic review that explores the relationship between sleep disruption and postpartum mental illness, which reports a link between self-reported poor sleep during and after pregnancy and the development of postpartum depression.
[read the full story...]Folic acid for depression: results of the FolATED study
Susie Johnson reports on the FolATED RCT and economic evaluation of folic acid for depression. The study finds no evidence that folic acid is clinically effective or cost-effective in augmenting antidepressants and speculates instead that methylfolate may be a better candidate for future research.
[read the full story...]Interpersonal therapy and imipramine may be effective at reducing suicidal ideation in depression, but more research needed
Susie Johnson considers how effective conventional depression treatments are at reducing suicidal ideation in depression. The new study she summarises concludes that interpersonal therapy and antidepressants can also reduce suicidal ideation.
[read the full story...]Program of regular exercise may be beneficial in reducing depression in older adults
The evidence-base supporting the use of exercise for depression is ever growing. Susie Johnson reports on a recent systematic review that adds to the discussion, but it’s not without its own limitations.
[read the full story...]Psychological treatment may be useful in reducing depression and anxiety in people with dementia, says new Cochrane review
Depression and anxiety are both common conditions in patients with dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), with some studies finding around 30% of patients show at least some depressive symptoms (Enache et al, 2011). Similarly, a study on vascular dementia found around 70% of participants had two or more symptoms of anxiety (Ballard et al, 2000). [read the full story…]
WEAVE RCT: GP training, but not screening, may benefit women who have experienced intimate partner violence
Behaviour within an intimate relationship which causes psychological, physical or sexual harm to either party is known as intimate partner violence (IPV). This violence is perpetrated by both men and women, but significant injuries are more commonly sustained by women. Consequently, IPV is a major public health concern as it contributes majorly to mortality in [read the full story…]
Meta-analysis shows some benefit of structural interventions in reducing suicides by jumping
Around the world, certain places have gained notoriety as suicide hotspots. These places are often heights, such as bridges or cliffs, from which suicide by jumping is common. Although not a major contributor to overall suicide rates, suicides by jumping are of particular concern due to their ability to cause distress or physical harm to [read the full story…]
Maternal antidepressant use in pregnancy may be associated with a small increased risk of autism
The prevalence of autistic spectrum disorders has risen dramatically in the last thirty years, with recent estimates suggesting that 1 in 88 children in the United States have an autistic spectrum disorder. This increasing prevalence could simply be due to changes in the diagnosis of such disorders and so be of little interest. However, there [read the full story…]
