Digital interventions for stress: do they live up to their alleged potential?

quotes-933816_1280

Josefien Breedvelt is encouraged by the findings of a recent systematic review of Internet-based and computer-based interventions for stress, which provides a positive case for offering stress management on a large scale.

[read the full story...]

Life’s good under one roof: can co-residing with our adult children prevent depression in later life?

2257789071_1976a7f236_o

Farhana Mann and Gemma Lewis pore over an instrumental variable study, which looks at the effect of co-residing with adult children on depression in later life.

[read the full story...]

Battle of the meta-analyses: is CBT becoming less effective over time?

goats-2189621_1280

Suzanne Dash explores a recent meta-analysis that looks again at RCTs of cognitive behavioural therapy for depression, to ascertain whether or not the effects of CBT are systematically falling over time.

[read the full story...]

Depression in later life: who benefits most from antidepressants plus exercise?

walk-1385880_1280

Linda Gask explores an RCT of physical exercise for depression in later life, which considers the best way to customise the intervention for primary care.

[read the full story...]

Probiotics for depression: robust and compelling evidence?

smoothies-1646627_1280

A team from the Centre for Affective Disorders at King’s College London appraise a new systematic review on probiotics for depression, which claims to have found robust and compelling evidence that these supplements can alleviate depressive symptoms.

[read the full story...]

CBT may help reduce anxiety and depression in people with diabetes, but standardised approach needed

200164357-001

Ben Perry explores the findings of a recent systematic review looking at the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural therapy on glycaemic control and psychological outcomes in adults with diabetes.

[read the full story...]

Exercise and iCBT for depression: how do ‘alternative’ treatments compare to usual care?

pexels-photo-59628

Bethan Davies publishes her debut blog on a recent Swedish RCT of exercise and internet-based cognitive-behavioural therapy for depression.

[read the full story...]

Two-question screening for depression in older adults

dependent-100342_1280

Andrew Sommerlad reviews a new systematic review and meta-analysis and asks: Can two questions identify depression in older people?

This is the second in a new series of Mental Elf blogs produced in partnership with the British Journal of Psychiatry.

[read the full story...]

Diet and depression: can we eat our way out of clinical depression? The ‘SMILES’ trial

cel-lisboa-60315

Murtada Alsaif chews over the SMILES RCT of dietary improvement for adults with major depression, which reports encouraging results for healthy diet in people with depression.

[read the full story...]

Use of mental health services may reduce adolescent depression

anthony-ginsbrook-174647

Jess Bone publishes her debut blog on a recent longitudinal cohort study, which looks at the reduction in adolescent depression after contact with mental health services.

[read the full story...]