Concern exists that antidepressants can cause suicidality in youths with depression.

To determine the pooled risk of self-harm and suicidal behaviour from randomised trials of newer antidepressants.

A meta-analysis was carried out to calculate odds ratios for the combined data.

Self-harm or suicide-related events occurred in 71 of 1487 (4.8%) of depressed youths treated with antidepressants v. 38 of 1254 (3.0%) of those given placebo (fixed effects odds ratio 1.70, 95% CI 1.13–2.54, P=0.01). There was a trend for individual suicidal thoughts, attempts and self-harm to occur more often in youths taking antidepressants than in those given placebo, but none of these differences was statistically significant.

Antidepressants may cause a small short-term risk of self-harm or suicidal events in children and adolescents with major depressive disorder.

Studies of conversion from mild cognitive impairment to dementia suggest a linear progression over time. Conversion rates during lifetime may extend to 80–90%.

This study examines the time-dependent evolution from mild cognitive impairment to dementia. Current assumptions regarding yearly and lifetime conversion rates are challenged.

A community sample of 1045 dementia-free individuals aged 75 years and over was examined by neuropsychological testing based on 6 years of observation.

Approximately 60–65% of people with mild cognitive impairment develop clinical dementia during their life. Progression from mild cognitive impairment to dementia appears to be time dependent, occurring primarily within the initial 18 months.

Further long-term studies are needed to examine the time-dependent evolution from mild cognitive impairment to dementia and to establish age-specific conversion rates during lifetime.

Music therapy may provide a means of improving mental health among people with schizophrenia, but its effects in acute psychoses have not been explored.

To examine the feasibility of a randomised trial of music therapy for in-patients with schizophrenia, and explore its effects on mental health.

Up to 12 weeks of individual music therapy plus standard care were compared with standard care alone. Masked assessments of mental health, global functioning and satisfaction with care were conducted at 3 months.

Of 115 eligible patients 81 (70%) were randomised. Two-thirds of those randomised to music therapy attended at least four sessions (median attendance, eight sessions). Multivariate analysis demonstrated a trend towards improved symptom scores among those randomised to music therapy, especially in general symptoms of schizophrenia.

A randomised trial of music therapy for in-patients with schizophrenia is feasible. The effects and cost-effectiveness of music therapy for acute psychosis should be further explored in an explanatory randomised trial.

Very few studies have examined the cross-national prevalence of suicidal ideation in the general population or variables associated with it.

To examine the risk factors for suicidal ideas in the general population.

As part of a five-country two stage epidemiological study of depressive disorder (the ODIN study) a random sample of over 12 000 people were screened using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). There followed detailed analysis of item 9 of the BDI, which measured the severity of suicidal ideation.

Age, marriage, concern by others and severity of depressed mood independently increased or decreased the odds of suicidal ideation overall. An interaction between life events and social supports was identified, although this differed between men and women. Only concern by others and severity of depression were independently associated with serious suicidal ideation. The study does not allow for interpretation of the direction of the association.

A number of social, clinical and demographic variables were independently associated with all suicidal ideation and with serious suicidal ideation. Longitudinal studies are required to confirm whether these are risk factors for or the result of suicidal ideation or have some other relationship.

No ecological studies have examined the relationship between area characteristics, individual characteristics and self-harm repetition.

To investigate the association between area-level factors and incidence and repetition of self-harm, and to identify which area-level factors are independently associated with repetition after adjustment for individual factors.

Prospective cohort study using the Manchester Self-Harm database. Adults who were resident in Manchester and presented to an emergency department following self-harm between 1997 and 2002 were included (n=4743). The main outcome measure was repeat self-harm within 6 months of the index episode.

Four individual factors (previous self-harm, previous psychiatric treatment, employment status, marital status) and one area-based factor (proportion of individuals who were of White ethnicity) were independently associated with repetition.

Repetition of self-harm may be more strongly related to individual factors than to area characteristics. We need to better understand the processes underlying ecological associations with suicidal behaviour before embarking on area-based interventions.

Depression rises markedly in adolescence, a time when increased and new genetic influences have been reported.

To examine ‘new’ and ‘stable’ genetic and environmental factors on depressive symptoms in adolescence and young adulthood.

A questionnaire survey investigated a sample of twin and sibling pairs at three time points over an approximately 3-year period. Over 1800 twin and sibling pairs reported depressive symptoms at the three time points. Data were analysed using multivariate genetic models.

Depressive symptoms at all time points were moderately heritable with substantial non-shared environmental contributions. Wave I genetic factors accounted for continuity of symptoms at waves 2 and 3. ‘New’ genetic effects at wave 2 also influenced wave 3 symptoms. New non-shared environmental influences emerged at each time point.

New genetic and environmental influences may explain age-related increases in depression across development.

Earlier studies have indicated poor long-term outcomes for patients with anorexia nervosa.

To study health and social outcomes of adolescent in-patients with anorexia nervosa in relation to prognostic factors.

A register study based on socio-economic and health data was conducted for a national cohort of female residents in Sweden born between 1968 and 1977, including 748 in-patients with anorexia nervosa.

At follow-up 9–14 years after hospital admission, 8.7% of patients with anorexia nervosa had persistent psychiatric health problems demanding hospital care and 21.4% were dependent on society for their main income; the stratified relative risks were 5.8 (95% CI 4.7–7.6) and 2.6 (2.3–3.0) respectively compared with the general female population. The mortality rate for patients with anorexia nervosa was 1.2% and the stratified risk ratio for maternity was 0.6 (95% CI 0.5–0.7). Long duration of hospital care and psychiatric comorbidity were predictors of persistent psychiatric problems and financial dependency on society.

The outcome in this cohort of adolescent in-patients with anorexia nervosa was considerably better than that reported in previous studies.

There is little information on the comparative effectiveness of second-generation antipsychotic agents.

To determine if any of five second-generation antipsychotics or haloperidol is more effective in treating acutely ill patients with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or schizophreniform disorder.

A sample of 327 newly admitted patients were randomised to open-label treatment with aripiprazole, haloperidol, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone or ziprasidone for a minimum of 3 weeks. Measures of effectiveness were improvement in mental status so that the patient no longer required acute in-patient care, and changes in Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) scores.

By the first measure, haloperidol (89%), olanzapine (92%) and risperidone (88%) were significantly more effective than aripiprazole (64%), quetiapine (64%) and ziprasidone (64%). Changes in BPRS ratings were not significant among treatments.

Haloperidol, olanzapine and risperidone are superior to aripiprazole, quetiapine and ziprasidone for the acute treatment of psychosis in hospitalised patients with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or schizophreniform disorder.

Introduction of crisis resolution/home treatment teams has been associated with a reduction in hospital admissions in trials. Between 2001 and 2004 there was a rapid expansion in the numbers of these teams in England.

To examine whether national implementation of these teams was associated with comparable reductions in admissions.

Observational study using routine data covering working age adult patients in 229 of the 303 local health areas in England from 1998/9 to 2003/4.

Admissions fell generally throughout the period, particularly for younger working age adults. Introduction of crisis resolution teams was associated with greater reductions for older working age women (35–64 years); teams always on call were associated with additional reductions for older men and younger women. By the end of the study admissions had fallen by 10% more in the 34 areas with crisis resolution teams in place since 2001, and by 23% more in the 12 of these on call around the clock than in the 130 areas without such teams by 2003/4. Reductions in bed use were smaller. Introduction of assertive outreach teams was not associated with overall reductions in admissions.

Introduction of crisis resolution teams has been associated with reductions in admissions.

Despite considerable research investigating the relationship between a long duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) and outcomes, there has been much less considering predictors of a long DUP.

To investigate the clinical and social determinants of DUP in a large sample of patients with a first episode of psychosis.

All patients with a first episode of psychosis who made contact with psychiatric services over a 2-year period and were living in defined catchment areas in London and Nottingham, UK were included in the ÆSOP study Data relating to clinical and social variables and to DUP were collected from patients, relatives and case notes.

An insidious mode of onset was associated with a substantially longer DUP compared with an acute onset, independent of other factors. Unemployment had a similar, if less strong, effect. Conversely family involvement in help-seeking was independently associated with a shorter duration. There was weak evidence that durations were longer in London than in Nottingham.

These findings suggest that DUP is influenced both by aspects of the early clinical course and by the social context.

Persistent neuropsychological impairments have been reported in the euthymic phase of bipolar affective disorder. However, the findings have been confounded by multiple episodes, chronic illness and residual mood symptoms.

To assess sustained attention and executive functioning in euthymic young people with bipolar I disorder who had had no more than two affective episodes.

Thirty euthymic patients (with illness duration of less than 5 years and no more than two affective episodes) and 30 matched healthy individuals were assessed for sustained attention and executive functioning.

The bipolar group (mean age 22.4 years, s.d.=2.52; duration of illness 20.87 months, s.d.=14.72), showed impairment on tasks of attention and executive functioning. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that deficits in executive functioning differentiated cases from controls. There was no correlation between residual depressive symptoms and neuropsychological performance.

Deficits in attention and executive functioning were present in young people who had experienced only a few episodes of bipolar disorder, suggesting that the deficits are possibly trait abnormalities. Whether these deficits worsen with progression of illness needs to be examined in longitudinal studies.