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.
[read the full story...]Jury remains out on antidepressant-induced mania, despite findings of Danish trial emulation
Michael Kalfas and Paul Leeks summarise a recent Danish study that assesses the risk of antidepressant-induced mania in patients with bipolar depression.
[read the full story...]The influence of the menopause in first onset of mental illness
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.
[read the full story...]Alcohol and bipolar: how does heavy alcohol use predict the course of bipolar disorder?
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.
[read the full story...]Meditation and mindfulness can help us and harm us, but how common are adverse events?
Edel McGlanaghy critiques a systematic review which finds that meditation may lead to adverse events, particularly psychiatric adverse events.
[read the full story...]What do people with bipolar really pay attention to when they are monitoring their mood?
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.
[read the full story...]Improving care for people with bipolar disorder: meeting unmet needs
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”.
[read the full story...]“Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen”. Depression and bipolar disorder in people with intellectual disabilities
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.
[read the full story...]Placebo effect in psychiatry: what do we really know?
David Steele summarises a review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses, which looks at the mediators and moderators of the placebo effect in psychiatry.
[read the full story...]Cannabis and mania: what’s the link?
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.
[read the full story...]