Omega-3 supplements for the prevention of psychosis: another trial shows no benefit, so is it time to move on?

Feature

David Mongan reports on a recent trial of omega-3 supplementation for the prevention of psychosis in people at ultra-high risk, which finds no evidence of a positive effect. He reflects on these findings and considers what’s next for the field.

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Jury remains out on antidepressant-induced mania, despite findings of Danish trial emulation

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Michael Kalfas and Paul Leeks summarise a recent Danish study that assesses the risk of antidepressant-induced mania in patients with bipolar depression.

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The influence of the menopause in first onset of mental illness

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Katie Marwick on a new UK Biobank study which suggests that the two years either side of the final menstrual period represent a time of small increased risk for new onset bipolar and major depressive disorder.

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Alcohol and bipolar: how does heavy alcohol use predict the course of bipolar disorder?

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Danielle Windget and Sammy Eden review a recent study on the patterns and clinical correlates of lifetime alcohol consumption in women and men with bipolar disorder.

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Meditation and mindfulness can help us and harm us, but how common are adverse events?

Featured

Edel McGlanaghy critiques a systematic review which finds that meditation may lead to adverse events, particularly psychiatric adverse events.

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What do people with bipolar really pay attention to when they are monitoring their mood?

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Charlotte Walker reviews a recent qualitative study on monitoring mood in bipolar disorder, which suggests that people with lived experience should customise monitoring questions to create a more responsive, personalised approach.

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Improving care for people with bipolar disorder: meeting unmet needs

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Leela Sathyaputri and Jess Fiedorowicz write their debut elf blog on a narrative review of the recent bipolar disorder literature entitled: “Areas of uncertainties and unmet needs in bipolar disorders: clinical and research perspectives”.

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“Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen”. Depression and bipolar disorder in people with intellectual disabilities

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Kathryn Mitchell and Stephen Moore summarise a recent prospective cohort study in the British Journal of Psychiatry, which looks at the incidence of unipolar and bipolar depression, and mania in adults with intellectual disabilities.

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Placebo effect in psychiatry: what do we really know?

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David Steele summarises a review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses, which looks at the mediators and moderators of the placebo effect in psychiatry.

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Cannabis and mania: what’s the link?

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Kathryn Walsh summarises a systematic review which finds that cannabis use may exacerbate symptoms of mania in those with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, and trigger symptoms of mania in the general population.

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