Non-medical prescribing considerations in emergency mental health services

Jane, a 30-year-old female, had a long-standing history of low mood, anxiety, periods of poor sleep and one episode of hypomania. She had previously been prescribed several different selective...

Prescribing for panic disorder

When a person has a panic disorder, it is useful to be able to spot it when they first mention their symptoms. Not only is there a role for prescribing but there may be other options to keep the...

Communication barriers that affect medication adherence in patients with learning disabilities

Small steps, big changes

I suppose I should begin this editorial by letting you know I have now had my second COVID-19 vaccination! I know I am part of a growing number of those afforded increased protection from the virus,...

Treatment advances in mental health

This month we are going to look at some interesting and applicable advances in the area of treatment of bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety. Some new research is examined and implications...

Deprescribing in mental health: pragmatic steps for a better quality of life

There have been numerous studies and articles over the last few years looking at deprescribing in mental health. For example, Bjerre et al (2018) outline that the deprescribing of antipsychotics for...

Past the peak: navigating depression in the aftermath of COVID-19

Depression was already one of the commonest mental disorders in Great Britain, but new research has shown that the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an increase of mental distress in adults across the...

Deprescribing in mental health care

There are a number of definitions of the term deprescribing. At its core are facets of the medicines optimisation movement and concerns about polypharmacy, particularly in older adult care..

Managing depression in the primary care setting

Depression is characterised by persistent low mood and/or loss of pleasure in most activities and a range of associated emotional, cognitive, physical, and behavioural symptoms (NICE, 2015). The DSM-5...

Mental health prescribing

Australian researchers carried out a systematic qualitative synthesis of 12 samples (Cleary et al, 2017). Using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) for qualitative studies, all were deemed...