The chatbot therapist: can we mimic therapy support with a conversational agent? #DigiMHweek

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Andres Fonseca helps us prepare for the #Mindtech2017 chatbot/artificial intelligence debate by summarising a recent trial of a fully automated conversational agent for promoting mental well-being.

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Future self-harm may be reduced with a brief psychological intervention, but perhaps only for the more severe

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Angharad de Cates explores a recent RCT of a brief psychological intervention to reduce repetition of self-harm in patients admitted to hospital following a suicide attempt.

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Brief behavioural therapy for children and adolescents with anxiety and depression

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Mona Jones publishes her debut elf blog on a recent RCT of brief behavioural therapy for paediatric anxiety and depression in primary care.

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Insomnia, paranoia and hallucinations: Sleepio CBTi at the OASIS

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Jack Barton publishes his debut elf blog on the huge OASIS randomised controlled trial, which explores the effects that improved sleep can have on our mental health.

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cCBT for people with learning disabilities: Pesky gNATs #MHNR2017

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Leen Vereenooghe presents the results of an RCT of computerised cognitive behavioural therapy for people with learning disabilities, featuring the computer game “Pesky gNATs: The Feel Good Island”.

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Body dissatisfaction in men. The Body Project: More Than Muscles RCT

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Sarah McDonald brings us her monthly round-up of eating disorders research, focusing this month on a randomised controlled trial of The Body Project: More Than Muscles for body dissatisfaction in men.

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Preventing depression in low-income mothers: Head Start RCT in the community

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Tayla McCloud appraises the recent Head Start randomised controlled trial measuring the efficacy of a maternal depression prevention strategy.

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Tetris for PTSD: behavioural intervention unlikely to vaccinate against intrusions

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Ioana Cristea disputes the claims of a recent proof-of-concept RCT, which aims to prevent intrusive memories after trauma via a brief intervention involving Tetris computer game play in the emergency department.

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Guided self help and cCBT for OCD: OCTET finds low adherence and uncertain fidelity

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Alan Underwood reports on the new OCTET trial published last week, which fails to find any support for the use of low-intensity guided self-help or computerised CBT for people with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

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