Psychotropic medication during pregnancy: new umbrella review finds no convincing evidence of adverse health outcomes for the baby

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Flo Martin summarises a recent umbrella review which finds that we still have limited knowledge about the safety of psychotropic drug use in pregnancy.

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Jury remains out on antidepressant-induced mania, despite findings of Danish trial emulation

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Michael Kalfas and Paul Leeks summarise a recent Danish study that assesses the risk of antidepressant-induced mania in patients with bipolar depression.

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Is brain imaging the future for bipolar disorder diagnosis in adolescents?

The study emphasises the potential of adopting a multimodal approach, incorporating imaging and behavioural data, to improve diagnosis of bipolar disorder in adolescence.

Emiliana Tonini summarises a recent Chinese study, which suggests that combining MRI scan and behavioural assessments data may increase the accuracy of diagnosing bipolar disorder in adolescents.

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The influence of the menopause in first onset of mental illness

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Katie Marwick on a new UK Biobank study which suggests that the two years either side of the final menstrual period represent a time of small increased risk for new onset bipolar and major depressive disorder.

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Cause of death in people with bipolar disorder: how can we prevent premature mortality and reduce the mortality gap?

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A group of UCL MSc students summarise a cohort study in BMJ Mental Health, which suggests that we have previously underestimated the contribution of external causes of death such as accidents or suicides.

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Cannabis use disorder associated with increased risk of both psychotic and nonpsychotic unipolar depression and bipolar disorder

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Jack Wilson critiques a recent Danish longitudinal study published in JAMA Psychiatry, which suggests that cannabis use disorder is independently associated with bipolar disorder and unipolar depression.

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Brain-body health please: new research supports integrated physical and mental health care

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Athina Aruldass finds that management of serious neuropsychiatric disorders should acknowledge the importance of poor physical health and target restoration of both brain and body function.

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Many causes of death among people with bipolar disorder are potentially preventable

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Anneka Tomlinson and Andrea Cipriani from the University of Oxford co-write this important blog on causes of mortality among those with bipolar disorder, highlighting the importance of suicide prevention across age groups.

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Trauma informed care on acute inpatient units: reducing self harm and restrictive practices

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Dr Kirsten Lawson is back! In this blog, Kirsten explores a service evaluation of trauma informed care practices in acute inpatient units, looking specifically at reductions in self-harm and restraint practices.

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South Asia’s silent struggle: people with severe mental illness suffer high burden of physical illness

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An international group of experts from the University of York CADA Implementation Science Summer School summarise a recent study on the prevalence of physical health conditions and health risk behaviours in people with severe mental illness in South Asia (Bangladesh, India and Pakistan).

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