People with Down’s syndrome are more likely to develop dementia than others and one in three will have the illness as early as in their 50s. Despite this high prevalence, there is very little reliable research about drug treatments for this population. This small randomised controlled trial (funded by the drug company Lundbeck) aimed to [read the full story…]
This is an unusual randomised controlled trial conducted by a research team from Arkin Institute for Mental Health in Amsterdam and funded by Eli Lilly. The study measures social functioning as an outcome, as well as the more commonly measured depression symptoms. It aims to find out how much psychotherapy is optimal for depressed people [read the full story…]
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a condition that is usually associated with obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviour. It’s one of the most common mental health problems in young people, with an estimated 5% of children and teenagers suffering from the chronic condition. Studies have shown that SSRI antidepressants and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) are both [read the full story…]
Recent studies have shown that pre-school children can be affected by post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and that the condition can last for years even after treatment. Good quality randomised trials have shown that trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy can be a very effective treatment for older children and adolescents with PTSD, but there have been [read the full story…]
Children with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are often prescribed antidepressant drugs (serotonin reuptake inhibitors – SRI), but many only partially respond to this treatment. This randomised controlled trial conducted by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, examined the effects of augmenting the antidepressant medication with cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT). The trial was quite [read the full story…]
In the absence of a systematic review, we often go looking for randomised controlled trials as the best available evidence to answer questions about treatment. These two small randomised controlled trials from Korea and Iran respectively, investigate the effectiveness of laughter on mental health. The first trial from Kyungpook National University Hospital investigated the effects of [read the full story…]
Previous studies have suggested that statin therapy might be a useful treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. This randomised controlled trial conducted by a team of researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine set out to determine if the lipid-lowering agent simvastatin slows the progression of symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease. They recruited 406 people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s [read the full story…]
Adherence to drug treatment is a constant challenge for mental health practitioners, so any research that explores why patients stop taking their medication is usually of interest. There are many published studies that look at the reasons why people decide to stop taking their antidepressants, and these range from finding it difficult to cope with [read the full story…]
Intensive care patients are at risk of developing anxiety, depression and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during their recovery. One study shows that 10% of patients who spend more than 48 hours in intensive care will go on to be diagnosed with PTSD (ref 2). This randomised controlled trial conducted by a collaborative team of [read the full story…]
It’s a sad fact of life that as people get older they sometimes find themselves living a lonely lifestyle; cut off from stimulating social networks and all of the activities and benefits that friendships entail. Social exclusion and a lack of frequent interaction may predict impaired cognition in the older members of the population. Researchers [read the full story…]
