Ketamine “shows promise” as an anti-suicidal ideation agent, but will this promise ever be realised?

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Rosalind McAlpine and Karel Kieslich summarise a recent systematic review which focuses on the rapid anti-suicidal ideation effect of ketamine.

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Living in anxious times? The rise of anxiety disorders in the UK

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Alice Grishkov and Derek Tracy explore a recent paper, which finds that generalised anxiety disorder is on the rise in the UK, especially in young women.

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Medication for generalised anxiety disorder: new network meta-analysis

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A group of UCL Masters Students summarise a recent network meta-analysis of drug treatment for generalised anxiety disorder, which finds that Venlafaxine, Pregabalin, Escitalopram and Duloxetine are all viable alternatives to Benzodiazepines.

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Sexual function matters to people living with serious mental illness

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Rudiger Pittrof and Elana Covshoff from SHRINE (Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights, Inclusion and Empowerment) explore a recent review, which looks at the impact of severe mental disorders and psychotropic medications on sexual health and its implications for clinical management.

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Non-medical use of prescription drugs #NonMedicalDrugs

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Ian Hamilton and Julia Buxton from the University of York preview the #NonMedicalDrugs event that will take place in York on Friday 16th March 2018.

The meeting will bring together people who can offer personal and professional insights of the extent of the issue and how we can support people who develop problems.

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Burning mouth syndrome: insufficient evidence for effectiveness of current treatments

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This update of a 2005 Cochrane review identified 23 RCTs but a limited number at low risk of bias so there is insufficient evidence to support or refute the use of any interventions in managing burning mouth syndrome.

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Self-harm on the rise, but many denied mental health assessments

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Katrina Witt explores a recently published paper that draws on the Multicentre Study of Self-Harm in England. The cohort study found that around one-half of self-harm patients do not receive psychosocial assessment, despite 2004 NICE guidance that recommends everyone who has self-harmed should have a comprehensive assessment of needs and risk.

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Cochrane find no evidence for as required PRN medication for mental health inpatients

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John Baker summarises an updated Cochrane review on ‘as required’ PRN medication regimens for seriously mentally ill people in hospital, which finds no randomised controlled trials that support this widely used intervention.

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Commonly prescribed psychiatric drugs: do they work?

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John Baker summarises a review of commonly prescribed medication that covers seven psychiatric drugs, including antidepressants, antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, amphetamines, methylphenidate and cholinesterase inhibitors.

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CBT plus taper may help reduce short-term benzodiazepine use

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John Baker summarises a recent Cochrane systematic review of psychosocial interventions for benzodiazepine harmful use, abuse or dependence.

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