News | Mental health

Feature

Insomnia: the great melatonin delusion

Increasingly prescribed in young people with sleep problems, experts are worried that melatonin, a supposedly ‘natural’ treatment for insomnia, is providing nothing more than false hope.…

Published: 24 November 2022

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All pharmacists working in primary care in England can now self-refer to NHS Practitioner Health

Previously, the free mental health and addiction service was only available to doctors, dentists and staff grade 8D or above in England.…

Published: 21 November 2022

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Researchers claim to have first direct evidence serotonin release is reduced in depression

After patients received d-amphetamine, which stimulates serotonin release, researchers found that those with major depressive disorder or depression linked to Parkinson's disease released significantly less serotonin than non-depressed patients.…

Published: 7 November 2022

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Psilocybin may be effective for treatment-resistant depression

Participants in a phase II study, who received 25mg of psilocybin alongside psychological support, reported lower levels of depression than participants who received lower doses of the psychedelic drug.…

Published: 7 November 2022

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NICE recommends CBT on tablets and mobile phones for young people with anxiety

Five technologies have been put forward as potential first-line treatment options for mild to moderate anxiety in young people.…

Published: 4 November 2022

Feature

How COVID-19 increased antipsychotic prescribing in care homes

As the care home sector struggled to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a shift to using more antipsychotic drugs. While concerning, this has since provided the push needed to consider new solutions to reduce prescribing of these potentially harmful drugs.…

Published: 3 November 2022

Feature

Anticholinergic drugs and dementia: a causal link?

The implications of changes to the regulation of oxybutynin in the UK and the case for deprescribing anticholinergics, such as this, to prevent cognitive adverse effects.…

Published: 5 October 2022

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Migraine and epilepsy drugs promoted to under-18s as weight-loss aids on TikTok

Exclusive: Social media platform removes posts after investigation by The Pharmaceutical Journal reveals that prescription-only drugs are being recommended to teenagers wanting to lose weight.…

Published: 22 September 2022

Feature

The serotonin theory of depression: how the media got it all wrong

A new evidence review into the causes of depression may not have been revolutionary, but, having generated so much attention in the newspapers, there are concerns it may cause significant numbers of patients to stop taking their treatment.…

Published: 31 August 2022

News

Data show ‘spiralling’ antipsychotic price increases of up to 1,200% in past five years

Exclusive: Analysis of NHS data show that the price of risperidone has increased the most out of all antipsychotics, from £3.09 in July 2017 to £41.16 in June 2022 — an increase of 1,232%.…

Published: 24 August 2022