Eleanor Kennedy reports on a nationwide Swedish cohort study, which finds that traumatic brain injury consistently predicted later risk of premature mortality, psychiatric inpatient admission, psychiatric outpatient visits, disability pension, welfare recipiency and low educational attainment.
[read the full story...]Does taking antidepressants during pregnancy harm the child? Here are the facts
Ian Jones summarises a number of studies that consider the benefits and harms of antidepressants during pregnancy, including a recent cohort study that found that exposure to antidepressants in the womb is associated with a modest increased risk of speech and language disorders.
[read the full story...]Bipolar disorder in older men linked to increased risk of dementia
Elena Marcus presents a recent study that shows how older Australian men with bipolar disorder have an increased risk of dementia and early death.
[read the full story...]Depression and coronary heart disease: reasons to remain UPBEAT-UK
Kirsten Lawson summarises the UPBEAT-UK programme of research into the relationship between coronary heart disease and depression and anxiety in primary care patients.
[read the full story...]Lithium for bipolar disorder: the best maintenance mood stabiliser protection against self-harm and suicide?
Michael Ostacher provides a robust appraisal of a recent UK cohort study that suggests bipolar disorder patients taking lithium had reduced self-harm and unintentional injury rates, when compared with patients taking valproate, olanzapine or quetiapine.
[read the full story...]Alcohol use disorder and increased mortality
Matt Field summarises a recent Swedish longitudinal cohort study of alcohol use disorder and mortality across the lifespan. This study quantifies the environmental and genetic risk factors that contribute to increased mortality in people with alcohol use disorder.
[read the full story...]Self-harm on the rise, but many denied mental health assessments
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.
[read the full story...]Outcomes in first episode manic psychosis
Matthew Broome writes his debut Mental Elf blog on a three-year clinical and functional outcome comparison between first episode manic psychosis and first-episode schizophrenia.
[read the full story...]Is email good for your health?
Epica the Dog and her human friends from the Equator Publication School sniff out a novel study about the effectiveness of email-based exercises in promoting psychological wellbeing and healthy lifestyle.
[read the full story...]Depression may be an early symptom of dementia
Caroline Struthers summarises a recent population study that explores 10-year trajectories of depressive symptoms and subsequent risk of dementia.
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