Does training in evidence based practice make clinicians better decision makers?

Jennifer Hanratty highlights a recent cross-sectional study on evidence-based practice, disruptive behaviour disorders, training & clinical decision making.

[read the full story...]

Music therapy for neglected children: can music therapy improve the parent-child relationship?

In this blog, Nuala Livingstone considers an interesting study with Randomized Controlled Trials design, which looks at the effect of music therapy treatment on parent-child interactions.

[read the full story...]

Having a laugh: Can medical clowns ease the pain of allergy tests?

In this blog, Jennifer Hanratty examined a study, which tested the efficacy of the “Dream Doctors” medical clowns in easing anxiety and pain in children undergoing allergy skin prick tests.

[read the full story...]

Smoking bans linked to healthier outcomes for children

In this co-authored blog, Victoria Simms and Jennifer Hanratty consider a recent systematic review, which aimed to assess the effectiveness of the introduction of smoke-free legislation on child health outcomes.

[read the full story...]

Can computers replace therapists? Computerised cognitive behavioural therapy for pain in children

Compuer CBT can be accessed anywhere

New bloggers Tania Bosqui and Julie Brown highlight a systematic review from 2010 on (computerised cognitive behavioural therapy) cCBT for chronic pain in children.

[read the full story...]

To nap or not to nap?

Jennifer Hanratty critically appraises and summarises a new systematic review of napping, child health and development from 0-5 years, which suggests that children should stop taking day-time naps at age 2 or risk disrupting their night-time sleep.

[read the full story...]

Helping young people with psychosis return to work: early intervention services need to do more

Stephen Wood summarises a recent cluster RCT of vocational rehabilitation in early psychosis, which finds that early intervention services need to do more to help young people with psychosis return to work.

[read the full story...]

Can children be supported to make decisions about their own health care?

Nobody likes being left out, especially when it comes to making decisions that can have a big effect on you. There’s a lot of discussion in the NHS at the moment around shared decision making and it mostly focuses on adults. But what about the children…Won’t somebody please think of the children?! From a children’s rights [read the full story…]

Cannabis use in young people linked with lower high school completion and degree attainment

André Tomlin and Douglas Badenoch voice a note of caution about the Lancet Psychiatry meta-analysis of cannabis use in young people. The study links cannabis use in children with low educational attainment, cannabis dependence, illicit drug use and suicide attempts in later life.

[read the full story...]