What outcomes should be measured to evaluate the benefits of exercise for maternal mental health?

The physical and mental health of women antenatally and postnatally has been described as fundamentally important to the development of children and the family. Exercise was proposed as a strategy to support maternal mental health, such as postnatal depression with an emphasis on structured and supervised activities. However, a recent systematic review by Saligheh et al (2017) revealed inconsistencies in the evidence base and could not confirm that exercise reduced symptoms of postnatal depression. This study aims to analyse the current evidence base to determine what outcomes should be measured to evaluate the benefits of exercise to maternal mental health. The research concludes that using a quantitative methodological approach, predominantly using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Score as a primary outcome measure, does not appear to capture the effects of exercise on postnatal depression and anxiety. Further research using a qualitative approach is recommended to identify outcomes that should be measured to demonstrate the benefits of exercise to maternal mental health.

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Encouraging the implementation of clinical standards into practice

Psychiatric Bulletin ◽

10.1192/pb.24.3.90 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 24 (3) ◽

pp. 90-93 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Claire Palmer ◽

Paul Lelliott

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Routine Practice ◽

Clinical Standards ◽

Current Evidence Base

The articles by Geddes & Wessely (2000, this issue) and Lelliott (2000, this issue) describe the current evidence base and guidelines from which clinical standards can be developed in mental health. They highlight some of the issues and complexity surrounding the development of standards. It could be argued, however, that an even greater challenge lies in getting clinical standards used in routine practice.

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An update on the growing evidence base for peer support

Mental Health and Social Inclusion ◽

10.1108/mhsi-03-2017-0014 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 21 (3) ◽

pp. 161-167 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Chyrell Bellamy ◽

Timothy Schmutte ◽

Larry Davidson

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Physical Health ◽

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Peer Support ◽

Support Services ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Content Type ◽

Current Evidence Base ◽

Peer Support Services

Purpose As peer support services have become increasingly used in mental health settings as a recovery-oriented practice, so has the body of published research on this approach to care. The purpose of this paper is to provide an update on the current evidence base for peer support for adults with mental illness in two domains: mental health and recovery, and physical health and wellness. Design/methodology/approach To provide a robust, non-redundant, and up-to-date review, first the authors searched for meta-analyses and systematic reviews. Second, the authors found individual studies not included in any of the reviews. Findings Peer services are generally equally effective to services provided by non-peer paraprofessionals on traditional clinical outcomes. Although some studies found peer services to be effective at reducing hospitalization rates and symptom severity, as a whole, the current evidence base is confounded by heterogeneity in programmatic characteristics and methodological shortcomings. On the other hand, the evidence is stronger for peer support services having more of a positive impact on levels of hope, empowerment, and quality of life. Research limitations/implications In addition to the need for further high-quality research on peer support in mental and physical health domains, the authors also question whether measures of hope, empowerment, and integration into the community are more relevant to recovery than traditional clinical outcomes. Originality/value This paper provides an original, robust, and up-to-date review of the evidence for peer services.

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Short report: A quantitative methodological review of participant characteristics in the literature testing mental health interventions for youth with autism spectrum disorder

Autism ◽

10.1177/13623613211056408 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 136236132110564

Author(s):

Kelsey S Dickson ◽

Megan Ledoux Galligan ◽

Ho Lok

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Treatment ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Health Interventions ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Health Treatment ◽

Current Evidence Base ◽

Mental Health Interventions ◽

Treatment Research

There have been significant efforts to develop, adapt, and test interventions targeting the co-occurring mental health conditions common among autistic youth, with several extant narrative and systematic reviews demonstrating the efficacy of these interventions. Yet, a methodological analysis of the literature testing these interventions, particularly the characteristics of the participant samples comprising this evidence base, is needed to contextualize our current understanding of treatment effects and highlight current gaps in the current evidence base to inform future research. This systematic quantitative methodology review characterized participants included in the mental health treatment research for autistic youth. One hundred and thirty-one articles testing mental health interventions for autism spectrum disorder were coded for youth, caregiver, and provider participant demographics. Findings indicated limited representation of females, transition age youth, racial/ethnic minority groups, and youth diverse in cognitive functioning and co-occurring mental health symptoms or conditions. Limited inclusion of providers’ representative of the clinical workforce was also noted. These results illuminate several critical gaps in the current evidence base for mental health interventions for autistic youth and provide recommendations for future research directions. Lay abstract Previous research has highlighted the importance of mental health treatment for autistic youth. In that research base, most studies focus on demonstrating the efficacy of a particular intervention with a sample of autistic youth. However, understanding the characteristics of samples used within these studies (i.e. demographics) is an important avenue for expanding this research to a more diverse, representative sample of autistic youth in community settings. As such, the current review examined and characterized participants included within mental health treatment research. We coded studies for various demographics among the youth sample, caregivers, and providers participants. Results indicated that while efforts have been made to increase diversity in research, very few studies including transition-aged youth, those identifying as female, and/or those identifying as non-Caucasian. Clinically, a few studies included youth with lower cognitive abilities and/or those with specific mental health problems (e.g. trauma and depression) or more than one co-occurring mental health conditions. Overall, our results highlight several critical gaps in our current evidence base regarding mental health treatment for autistic youth, including the limited clinical representativeness of both provider and child participants.

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Matching clients to CBT self-help resources

Oxford Guide to Low Intensity CBT Interventions ◽

10.1093/med:psych/9780199590117.003.0009 ◽

2010 ◽

pp. 113-120 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Rebeca Martinez ◽

Chris Williams

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Decision Making ◽

Research And Development ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Shared Decision ◽

Mental Health Difficulty ◽

Self Help ◽

Current Thinking ◽

Current Evidence Base

Chapter 9 addresses the range of factors that may inform shared decision making following assessment. Several of these draw upon the current evidence base surrounding the type of mental health difficulty for which self-help CBT is effective, and echo conclusions reached within other chapters in this title and, at times, challenge current thinking concerning LI working. This highlights how there is still much to learn regarding the application of the LI approach, which will hopefully stimulate further research and development in this area.

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The Gut Microbiome and Mental Health: What Should We Tell Our Patients?: Le microbiote Intestinal et la Santé Mentale : que Devrions-Nous dire à nos Patients?

The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/0706743719874168 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 64 (11) ◽

pp. 747-760 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Mary I. Butler ◽

Sabrina Mörkl ◽

Kiran V. Sandhu ◽

John F. Cryan ◽

Timothy G. Dinan

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Psychiatric Disorders ◽

Gut Microbiome ◽

Treatment Strategies ◽

Health Benefit ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Current Evidence Base

The gut microbiome as a potential therapeutic target for mental illness is a hot topic in psychiatry. Trillions of bacteria reside in the human gut and have been shown to play a crucial role in gut–brain communication through an influence on neural, immune, and endocrine pathways. Patients with various psychiatric disorders including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and autism spectrum disorder have been shown to have significant differences in the composition of their gut microbiome. Enhancing beneficial bacteria in the gut, for example, through the use of probiotics, prebiotics, or dietary change, has the potential to improve mood and reduce anxiety in both healthy people and patient groups. Much attention is being given to this subject in the general media, and patients are becoming increasingly interested in the potential to treat mental illness with microbiome-based therapies. It is imperative that those working with people with mental illness are aware of the rationale and current evidence base for such treatment strategies. In this review, we provide an overview of the gut microbiome, what it is, and what it does in relation to gut–brain communication and psychological function. We describe the fundamental principles and basic techniques used in microbiome–gut–brain axis research in an accessible way for a clinician audience. We summarize the current evidence in relation to microbiome-based strategies for various psychiatric disorders and provide some practical advice that can be given to patients seeking to try a probiotic for mental health benefit.

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The evolution of an evidence based intervention designed to improve prescribing and reduce polypharmacy in older people with multimorbidity and significant polypharmacy in primary care (SPPiRE)

Journal of Comorbidity ◽

10.1177/2235042x20946243 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 ◽

pp. 2235042X2094624

Author(s):

Caroline McCarthy ◽

Frank Moriarty ◽

Emma Wallace ◽

Susan M Smith ◽

Keyword(s):

Older People ◽

Medication Review ◽

Patient Reported Outcome Measures ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Public Health Research ◽

Primary Outcome Measure ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Current Evidence Base ◽

Patient Reported

Introduction: By the time an intervention is ready for evaluation in a definitive RCT the context of the evidence base may have evolved. To avoid research waste, it is imperative that intervention design and evaluation is an adaptive process incorporating emerging evidence and novel concepts. The aim of this study is to describe changes that were made to an evidence based intervention at the protocol stage of the definitive RCT to incorporate emerging evidence. Methods: The original evidence based intervention, a GP delivered web guided medication review, was modified in a five step process: Identification of core components of the original intervention. Literature review. Modification of the intervention. Pilot study. Final refinements. A framework, developed in public health research, was utilised to describe the modification process. Results: The population under investigation changed from older people with a potentially inappropriate prescription (PIP) to older people with significant polypharmacy, a proxy marker for complex multimorbidity. An assessment of treatment priorities and brown bag medication review, with a focus on deprescribing were incorporated into the original intervention. The number of repeat medicines was added as a primary outcome measure as were additional secondary patient reported outcome measures to assess treatment burden and attitudes towards deprescribing. Conclusions: A framework was used to systematically describe how and why the original intervention was modified, allowing the new intervention to build upon an effective and robustly developed intervention but also to be relevant in the context of the current evidence base.

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The role of music therapy in Australian mental health services and the need for increased access to service users

Australasian Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/1039856220980255 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 103985622098025

Author(s):

Jennifer Bibb

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Services ◽

Health Services ◽

Music Therapy ◽

Treatment Option ◽

Symptomatic Relief ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Current Evidence Base

Objectives: This opinion paper aims to provide an overview of the current evidence base supporting the use of music therapy in mental health care. It also aims to offer critique on the issue of access to music therapy in Australia. Conclusions: There is a strong evidence base for music therapy to provide symptomatic relief and improve quality of life for people living with mental illness. However, music therapy is underfunded and framed as a supplementary service within mental health services in Australia, which limits its access to consumers. Funding music therapy as an evidence-based treatment option would fill an existing service gap and provide equitable access to a cost-effective and often consumer preferred treatment option for mental health consumers.

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Sleep: the neglected life factor in adults with intellectual disabilities

BJPsych Bulletin ◽

10.1192/bjb.2021.122 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Laura Korb ◽

David O'Regan ◽

Jane Conley ◽

Emma Dillon ◽

Rachel Briggs ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intellectual Disabilities ◽

Sleep Disorders ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Current Evidence Base ◽

High Prevalence ◽

Health Studies ◽

Collaborative Working ◽

Adults With Intellectual Disabilities

Sleep is vital for our physical and mental health. Studies have shown that there is a high prevalence of sleep disorders and sleep difficulties amongst adults with intellectual disabilities. Despite this, sleep is often overlooked or its disorders are considered to be difficult to treat in adults with intellectual disabilities. There is a significant amount of research and guidance on management of sleep disorders in the general population. However, the evidence base for sleep disorders in adults with intellectual disabilities is limited. In this review paper, we look at the current evidence base for sleep disorders in adults with an intellectual disability, discuss collaborative working between intellectual disabilities psychiatrists and sleep medicine specialists to manage sleep disorders, and provide recommendations for future directions.

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