Living with mental health problems during COVID-19: how does it feel?

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In her debut blog, Anjana Greedharee reviews a co-produced, participatory qualitative study on the experiences of living with mental health problems 
during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK.

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Composite resin or amalgam fillings for permanent posterior teeth

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This updated Cochrane review of the efficacy and safety of direct composite fillings versus amalgam fillings included 8 RCTs. Low‐certainty evidence suggests that composite resin restorations may have almost double the failure rate of amalgam restorations.

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How risky for developing psychosis are ‘At Risk Mental States’ in youths?

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In their debut blog, Martin Rimvall and Pia Jeppesen summarise a recent systematic review and meta-analysis exploring psychosis risk in children and adolescents with an ‘At Risk Mental State’.

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Topical anaesthesia: Does it reduce pain perception of local anaesthetic injections?

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This review of the effectiveness of topical anaesthesia in in reducing pain during local anaesthetic injections for dental procedures included 22 RCTs. Statistically significant differences were seen during needle puncture with topical anaesthetic use in the maxilla and palate but not the mandible.

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The benefits and harms of antidepressants for youth depression and anxiety #ActiveIngredientsMH

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Mark Horowitz and Joanna Moncrieff consider a new #ActiveIngredientsMH review published today in The Lancet Psychiatry, which looks at the knowns and unknowns of antidepressant treatment in young people with depression and anxiety: efficacy, predictors, and mechanisms of action.

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Acceptability of psychosocial and psychoeducational group intervention after repeat suicide attempts

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Sadhbh Byrne reviews a recent mixed-methods study on client acceptability of a psychosocial and psychoeducational group intervention for repeat suicide attempts. The ‘Psychosocial/psychoeducation Intervention for recurrent Suicide Attempts’ (PISA), or ‘Skills for Safer Living’ (SfSL).

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Intraoral stents to reduce oral toxicity of radiotherapy

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This review assessing the effectiveness of intraoral stents in reducing toxicities in oral cavity induced by radiotherapy in head and neck region included 7 small studies. While the analysis suggests a beneficial effect from the use of intraoral stents the included studies only provide verylow certainty evidence so further high-quality RCTs are needed.

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Opioid Agonist Treatment associated with 50% lower risk of mortality, but political epiphany still needed to reduce drug-related deaths

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Ian Hamilton appraises a systematic review and meta-analysis on the association of opioid agonist treatment with all-cause mortality and specific causes of death among people with opioid dependence.

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Can ketamine metabolites and gamma power help predict clinical response for ‘treatment resistant depression’?

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Anya Borissova summarises a recent randomised placebo-controlled trial that evaluated ketamine metabolites, clinical response, and gamma power for major depression.

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Denture stomatitis: Are natural products effective?

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This review comparing topical natural substances with conventional antifungals in the treatment of denture stomatitis included 17 studies 14 of which were RCTs. A wider range of natural products were tested and showed similar efficacy to antifungals however, almost all the studies were at high risk of bias so the certainty of the evidence is very low.

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