Depression Treatments in Scotland
It’s interesting to see how depression is being approached overseas. In Scotland, the government is attempting to cut down on antidepressant prescriptions, recommending GPs prescribe a program of exercise, and reading self-help material. Patients are only to be prescribed antidepressants after the exercise and reading hasn’t worked (link). While going for a run and having a read...
Read MoreWho do Anti-depressants work for?
A recent study (cited here) questions whether drug trials assessing antidepressants relate to the people who actually use them. Such trials often involve individuals with more severe depression, who don’t have any other comorbidities. The problem is this isn’t often who the drugs end up getting prescribed for: After assessing 2,855 patients treated with citalopram, a commonly...
Read MorePositive Psychology: How to be Happier
Continuing on from the previous post, we look at some research performed by the positive psychology movement. One of their main areas of research is how to make yourself happier. One study (which is summarized in the latter half of this document) looked at the effectiveness of internet based interventions on happiness. People did a number of activities online, and their happiness and depression...
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