SSRI antidepressants should not be first choice for treating depression with comorbid alcohol use disorders

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All mental health professionals are well aware that depression and alcohol misuse frequently go hand in hand. One condition often complicates and affects the outcome of the other. NICE guidelines recommend treating the alcohol problems first and then after 3-4 weeks of abstinence focus on treating the comorbid mental illness if it’s still present. This [read the full story…]

New meta-analysis shows no substantial differences between second generation antidepressants for depression

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A large number of systematic reviews and guidelines have been published in recent years to assist clinicians in prescribing the best antidepressants for treating depression. This new meta-analysis conducted by researchers from Austria and the US, sets out to compare the benefits and harms of second generation antidepressant drugs in the treatment of major depressive [read the full story…]

The safety and risks of antidepressant treatment in older people: new large UK cohort study

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The aim of this study was to establish the relative safety and balance of risks for antidepressant treatment in older people. The cohort study included 60,746 patients aged 65 years and over diagnosed with depression. The study was based in 570 general practices in the UK supplying data to the QResearch database. The study objectives [read the full story…]

Study finds antipsychotics to be safe in relation to metabolic adverse effects for people with learning disabilities

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Antipsychotics are frequently used in the treatment of people with learning disabilities, but little is published in the literature concerning their metabolic and endocrine side-effects. The researchers in this observational study set out to compare indices of obesity, glucose, lipids and prolactin between 138 people with learning disabilities who were treated with antipsychotic medications and [read the full story…]

Is it safe to prescribe benzodiazepines and opioids together?

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Benzodiazepines are most commonly prescribed for the management of anxiety and insomnia. They can also be used for sedation or amnesia before medical or surgical procedures, treatment of seizure, treatment of alcohol or sedative withdrawal, or acute agitation. Known side effects include drowsiness, fatigue and ataxia (the loss of full control of bodily movements). Opioids [read the full story…]

Sertraline and mirtazapine do more harm than good for people with dementia and depression

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Depression is common in patients with dementia and antidepressants are widely prescribed for this population although the evidence remains limited. This randomised controlled trial conducted by researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry in London and published in the Lancet, explored the safety and efficacy of two widely-used drugs (sertraline and mirtazapine) in patients with dementia and [read the full story…]

Benzodiazepines associated with an increase in falls and fractures in older adults

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This rapid response report from the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health set out to answer four questions: 1. What is the evidence on the safety of using benzodiazepines in older adults to manage disruptive behaviour or treat anxiety? 2. What is the effectiveness of benzodiazepines compared with that of antidepressants in older [read the full story…]