Behavioural activation not inferior to CBT for depression: the COBRA RCT

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Ioana Cristea appraises the recently published COBRA randomised controlled trial, which concludes that behavioural activation is non-inferior to cognitive behavioural therapy for depression, and may offer significant cost savings.

This blog also features a podcast interview with the lead author: Professor David Richards from Exeter University.

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Antidepressants don’t help with many cognitive impairments, even when they do improve mood

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Lucas Shelemy on a recent randomised longitudinal study that explores the effect of antidepressant treatment on cognitive impairments associated with depression.

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Adding antidepressants to antipsychotics in schizophrenia: do they work, for what, and are they safe?

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Alex Langford explores the emerging findings from a recent meta-analysis looking at the efficacy and safety of antidepressants added to antipsychotics for people with schizophrenia and schizophrenia-like psychosis.

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Have the EAGLES landed? Safety of varenicline, bupropion and NRT in smokers with and without mental illnesses

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Paul Christiansen presents the results of the EAGLES RCT into the neuropsychiatric safety and efficacy of varenicline, bupropion, and nicotine patches in smokers with and without psychiatric disorders.

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Psychotherapy for depression: enhancing positive and reducing negative affect?

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Carla McEnery publishes her debut Mental Elf blog on a recent systematic review, which looks at the effect of psychotherapies on positive affect and negative affect in depression.

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Internet-based problem-solving guided self-help for depression whilst waiting for therapy

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Alastair Canaway summarises a trial of the clinical and cost-effectiveness of internet-based problem-solving guided self-help intervention, in comparison with enhanced usual care, for outpatients on a waiting list for face-to-face treatment for major depression.

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ITI-007 for schizophrenia

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Murtada Alsaif summarises a recent 4-week long phase II randomised controlled trial of ITI-007 for the treatment of schizophrenia, which contains some positive results for this novel intervention.

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Treatment is uncommon for common mental disorders

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Suzanne Dash reviews a cross-sectional study of the prevalence and treatment of common mental disorders in the English national population, which inspires her to host a mental health epidemiology quiz. Fingers on buzzers…

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Telehealth for depression: large pragmatic RCT of complex intervention

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Emily Stapley presents the findings of a trial which looks at the effectiveness of an integrated telehealth service for patients with depression.

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