Una Foye highlights a small qualitative study that explores the benefits of establishing music groups on acute mental health inpatient wards. She reflects on the boredom felt by many inpatients and the importance of social connection and a positive ward atmosphere that may indirectly improve recovery and mental well-being.
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Carmine Pariante, Hannah Lamdin and Laura Godfrey-Isaacs mark Maternal Mental Health Matters Awareness Week with a blog about the Maternal Journal workshops and events they run, to support pregnant women with a history of mental health problems.
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Lisa Burscheidt is rather disappointed by a randomised controlled trial of music therapy for children and adolescents with behavioural and emotional problems.
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Rachel Upthegrove reviews a new systematic review and meta-analysis of psychological and psychosocial interventions for negative symptoms in psychosis.
This is the third in a new series of Mental Elf blogs produced in partnership with the British Journal of Psychiatry.
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Suzanne Dash reviews a cross-sectional study of the prevalence and treatment of common mental disorders in the English national population, which inspires her to host a mental health epidemiology quiz. Fingers on buzzers…
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Raphael Underwood reports on the findings of a recent RCT of group body psychotherapy for negative symptoms of schizophrenia, which finds that body psychotherapy did not have a clinically beneficial effect on reducing emotional withdrawal or improving social functioning.
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Tracey Roberts appraises a systematic review of group psychotherapies for schizophrenia, which includes group CBT, music therapy, art therapy and social skills training.
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Chris Sampson reports on a new HTA systematic review and economic evaluation of art therapy for non-psychotic mental health disorders like depression, anxiety and phobias.
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The MATISSE trial in 2012 concluded that group art therapy did no better than standard care at improving symptoms for people with schizophrenia. A new critique of that RCT from the British Association of Art Therapists says the therapy can be more useful.
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People with schizophrenia experience a wide range of symptoms, which are broadly categorised into ‘positive’ symptoms (e.g. hallucinations and delusions) and ‘negative’ symptoms (e.g. lethargy, lack of motivation and poor attention). Evidence shows that positive symptoms can be well managed with antipsychotic drugs, which also reduce the chances of relapse, but these medications can have [read the full story…]
