Digital technology and youth mental health: recommendations from the Royal College of Psychiatrists

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Sarah Hetrick summarises a recent report from the Royal College of Psychiatrists which explores the impact of technology use on the mental health of young people.

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Local anaesthetic for dental treatment: interventions to improve acceptance in children

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Twenty six RCTs were included in this Cochrane systematic review of methods for the acceptance of local anaesthesia (LA) in children and adolescents during dental treatment. However the trials did not provide sufficient evidence to draw firm conclusions as to the best interventions

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A picture tells a thousand words, or does it? Photography and youth mental health

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Laura Caven and Chris O’Sullivan summarise a recent qualitative study on young people’s experiences and perceptions of mental health and well-being through photography.

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Is reading for pleasure in childhood good for your health?

Although an association between reading for pleasure and healthy behaviours was identified, causation is still unclear.

Francesca Bentivegna summarises a recent study of the benefits of reading for pleasure in childhood, which finds an association 3 years later with consuming more fruit and being less exposed to both cigarette and alcohol use.

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Improving language development: read, play, discuss

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Julia Badger critiques and summarises a recent randomised controlled trial testing the Let’s Talk intervention for improving children’s language development.

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Gender non-conformity: novel study reveals increased risk of mental health problems in young people

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Ben Janaway summarises a recent Canadian community-based study, which examines emotional and behavioural difficulties in children experiencing gender non-conformity.

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Long-term outcomes of childhood sexual abuse #ISTSS2019

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Raphael Underwood summarises a recent umbrella review (a synthesis of meta-analyses), which aimed to evaluate the current literature regarding childhood sexual abuse and long-term outcomes (psychosocial outcomes, psychiatric diagnoses and physical health outcomes).

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Sleep problems in infancy: a possible risk factor for ADHD?

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Jack Barton summarises a recent longitudinal study from Finland, which suggests that sleep difficulties in infancy are associated with symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity at the age of 5 years.

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Treating PTSD in children and young people #ISTSS2019

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In Dr David Trickey’s debut blog for Mental Elf, he comments on the new ISTSS treatment guidelines for children and young people with post traumatic stress disorder.

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Are antidepressants safe? A new umbrella review of observational studies suggests they are, but we need more accurate data

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Andrea Cipriani and Anneka Tomlinson scrutinise a brand new umbrella review of the associations between antidepressants and adverse health outcomes, which suggests that antidepressants are safe for most people who experience mental health difficulties.

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