mHealth promotion for parents to improve children’s oral health

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This review of the effectiveness of the mHealth-delivered oral health education to parents parents regarding the improvement of parents’ knowledge, behaviours and children’s oral health status included 12 studies. The studies findings were variable with some demonstrating benefit and some no benefit with all 8 of the included RCTs being at high risk of bias.

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Remote measurement technologies for depression in young people: scalable solution or overplayed potential? #ActiveIngredientsMH

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In her debut blog, Annabel Walsh summarises her #ActiveIngredientsMH project which explored the use of remote measurement technologies for depression in children and young people.

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Oral hygiene advice: Use of mobile phone applications in children and adolescents

There's huge potential for smartphones to be used in this kind of research

This review of the effectiveness of interventions delivered by mobile phones in improving adherence to oral hygiene advice for children and adolescents included just 2 small RCTs involving a total of 130 patients. The findings suggest that mobile phones are effective in improving adherence to oral hygiene advice in orthodontic patients.

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Can digital communication improve relationships between young people and clinicians?

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Victoria Betton reports on the LYNC study; mixed methods research into timely digital patient-clinician communication in specialist clinical services for young people.

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Parotid gland tumours and mobile phone use?

The study used data from a previous telephone survey, which focused on depression, concussion and brain injury, amongst other things

This review of parotid gland tumours and mobile phone use included 3 case-controlled studies and hints at a possible association. However the limited evidence means that the findings should be viewed very cautiously.

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Is there still a digital divide in mental health?

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Lisa Marzano writes her debut elf blog on a recent cross-sectional survey of Internet use in people with psychosis and depression, which explores the extent of the digital divide in mental health.

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Mobile app for reducing binge drinking in young adults: better evidence needed

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Sally Adams appraises a naturalistic study about the D-ARIANNA mobile app, which aims to reduce levels of binge drinking in young people.

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Is clinical research essential to develop good mental health apps?

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Join a diverse group of mental health service users, researchers, practitioners and developers to discuss this vital issue. We are debating this question in a #Mindtech15 fringe event taking place in London (and on Twitter) at 7pm on Wednesday 2nd December.

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No proof that 85% of mental health apps accredited by the NHS actually work

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Health Economist Simon Leigh argues that the unregulated world of health apps brings cause for concern as well as celebration. Fear not though, he has some suggestions for what to look out for when downloading apps, which may help whilst you’re waiting for the regulators and accreditors to get their act together.

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SMS text messaging interventions for healthy behaviour change

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Olivia Maynard presents a recent meta-analysis that finds that SMS text interventions have a positive, albeit small, effect on healthy behaviour change.

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