Are we prepared to prevent youth depression?

In this blog, Jasmin Wertz considers a systematic review, which aimed to establish whether there is evidence to support the implementation and dissemination of programs to prevent childhood and adolescent depression.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Motivational interviewing does not prevent alcohol misuse in young people

This new Cochrane systematic review finds that motivational interviewing has no effect on reducing alcohol-related problems or risky behaviours such as drunk driving in young people.

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Face-to-face psychotherapy for chronic pain in children and adolescents: Cochrane review calls for better primary research

Lisa Burscheidt summarises a recent Cochrane review of psychotherapy for chronic pain in children and adolescents, which concludes that psychological therapies should be considered as a treatment, but better primary studies are needed to help steer pain management decisions.

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Homelessness and mental illness in children and young people

This study explores the prevalence of psychiatric disorder and comorbidity among a UK sample of young people with experience of homelessness. It finds an extremely high prevalence of mental illness, combined with low levels of mental health service use.

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Antidepressants, safety warnings and suicide risk in young people

Andrew Shepherd reviews the recent controversial BMJ study that suggests the FDA black box warning about antidepressant use in young people, may have inadvertently caused an increase in suicidal behaviour. He finds it’s not quite that clear cut.

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Incredible Years Parent Training has a role in improving outcomes for all children

Fiona Warner-Gale presents the findings of a meta-analytic review of the Incredible Years Parent Training programme, which is found to be effective at modifying disruptive and prosocial child behaviour. This evidence will be of interest to many, including policymakers, planners and practitioners.

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