Major depression all too often develops a chronic course, with every episode making future relapse more likely (Gilmer et al., 2005). Dysthymic disorders represent a less severe, but more persistent form of depression lasting for at least two years. In the affective disorder spectrum, chronic forms are unsurprisingly associated with greater functional impairment and overall [read the full story…]
Smoking is the main preventable cause of premature illness and death worldwide. Approximately 20% of deaths in men and 5% in woman over 30 can be attributed to smoking. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 6 million people die from smoking related disease each year, with tobacco being the number one risk factor for [read the full story…]
I wonder if the timing of this publication was planned to be so close to the release of DSM-5, but this debut guidance on social phobia (now known as social anxiety disorder) is certainly going to ruffle some feathers. It fuels the discussion about the medicalisation of human personality traits and some will see it [read the full story…]
Bipolar disorder features as one of the top ten disabling disorders for working age adults. There are numerous risks including suicide, increased mortality and reduced social functioning associated with the disorder. Key to enabling recovery is preventing acute episodes from occurring, with each episode increasing the risk of future ones. Therefore ensuring long-term maintenance treatment [read the full story…]
Dementia is one of the most common and serious disorders in later life. It places a considerable burden on the health care system, individuals and especially unpaid carers. Depression is common among people with dementia and causes additional distress to affected individuals and their social circle. Research into the treatment of depression in dementia is [read the full story…]
SSRIs are usually considered first-line treatment against major depression and approximately 50% of patients achieve remission with the drug they try first (Steffens, Krishnan, & Helms, 1997). However, every eighth case proves to be treatment-resistant and does not respond to standard antidepressant treatment at all. As a last resort, second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) effective in schizophreniform [read the full story…]
Depression is a serious mental health threat proclaimed to be the greatest disease burden in the industrialised world by 2020 (Simon, 2003). In the pharmaceutical combat against depression, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the current treatment of choice. Indeed, SSRIs are the most prescribed antidepressant medicine (Helms & Eric, 2006). As the name suggests, they increase [read the full story…]
Talking therapies for mental disorders are an ever-expanding field, with variations in treatments appearing all the time. It can be hard to know which treatment path to recommend to a patient, or which one you might choose for yourself. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterised by episodes of low mood, loss of self-esteem and interest [read the full story…]
Studies have shown that the prevalence of depression in pregnant women is 7-19%. Being depressed during pregnancy can result in preterm delivery, which can in turn lead to illness and even death of the newborn child. Researchers have struggled to single out the causes of these risks. Is it the depression, the medical treatment being [read the full story…]
The CoBalT trial was published last week in the Lancet. This important randomised controlled trial (RCT) examined the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) as an add-on treatment to usual care for people with treatment resistant depression. Previous studies have shown that only around one third of people with depression respond well to treatment with [read the full story…]
