Cognitive behavioural prevention of depression in adolescents

Higher levels of cortisol were associated with higher levels of depression

Emily Stapley summarises a recent RCT of a cognitive behavioural prevention programme for young people at risk of depression.

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Computerised CBT for depression is no better than usual GP care: the REEACT trial

Last November we blogged the REEACT trial and concluded that computerised CBT for depression is no better than usual GP care.

Another debut blog today, this time from Suzanne Dash, who presents the results of the REEACT trial published last week in the BMJ. The study found limited uptake of computerised CBT by people with clinical depression and no benefit of free or commercially available cCBT packages over usual GP care.

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Antidepressants vs placebo for depression: forget the gap

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Ioana Cristea considers the possible causes responsible for the apparent narrowing of the drug-placebo gap, which over the last 30 years has seen estimates of depression symptom reduction from antidepressants fall from 70% to 30%.

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Collaboration, collaboration, collaboration

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Kirsten Lawson explores the benefits of working across professional and therapeutic boundaries, highlighted beautifully by the recent COINCIDE RCT of collaborative care for patients with depression comorbid with diabetes or cardiovascular disease.

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Is cCBT doing it for the kids, but not the adults?

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Karina Lovell appraises the first UK RCT of computerised cognitive behavioural therapy (cCBT) for depression in children and young people, which shows a clinically meaningful improvement in depression and anxiety.

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Should we recommend CBT for depression in people with learning disabilities?

CBT

Leen Vereenooghe summarises a systematic review of the use of CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) to treat depression in people with learning disabilities.

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Placebo responding and µ-opioid brain functioning predict efficiency of antidepressants

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Dan-Mikael Ellingsen explores the neurochemistry of placebo effects in major depression, as he reviews a recent study of the association between placebo-activated neural systems and antidepressant responses.

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Psychotherapies for depression and anxiety in dementia

The study highlighted a lack of evidence about what CMHT services work for older people.

Clarissa Giebel summarises a recent systematic review that investigates the effectiveness of various psychotherapies (CBT, interpersonal therapy, counselling) for depression and anxiety in people with dementia or mild cognitive impairment.

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Telemedicine psychotherapy for older veterans with depression

Veteran

Lisa Burscheidt appraises an RCT of telemedicine psychotherapy for depression in older veterans, which establishes non-inferiority of telemedicine delivery versus same-room delivery of behavioural activation.

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Antidepressant meta-analyses: big business and bias

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Alex Langford reflects on the findings of a recent study that looks at 185 meta-analyses of antidepressants. It finds that industry involvement in research can lead to biased studies that under-report negative aspects of antidepressants for depression.

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