BMJ mental health最新文献

Background: Epistemic trust describes the capacity to appropriately identify others as reliable and relevant sources of information, an ability closely linked to attachment and social learning. Epistemic disruption can manifest as heightened suspicion (mistrust) or excessive reliance (credulity) vis-à-vis others, affecting mentalizing abilities and increasing vulnerability to psychopathology and maladaptive traits. These interdependent and multidirectional dynamics are pivotal to therapeutic learning, and thus to therapeutic change.

Objective: This study examined associations between epistemic trust and disruption, markers of psychopathology, therapeutic relationship quality and treatment-seeking behaviour.

Method: A naturalistic sample of 912 participants, recruited via a mental health app, completed the Epistemic Trust, Mistrust and Credulity Questionnaire, along with self-reports capturing internalising symptoms, personality functioning, maladaptive traits and the perceived therapeutic relationship within the previous 6 months. Treatment-seeking behaviour and the number of sessions utilized in the past year were further explored-both in psychotherapeutic and psychiatric contexts.

Findings: Epistemic mistrust and credulity showed consistent relationships with markers of psychopathology. Higher epistemic (mis)trust correlated with more positive (negative) ratings of various aspects of the therapeutic relationship, including genuineness, realism, expectations, congruence and responsivity-over the past 6 months. Epistemic trust positively predicted the amount of psychotherapy sessions, while epistemic mistrust negatively predicted treatment-seeking, both controlled for personality dysfunction. Epistemic credulity predicted mental health app use-all assessed retrospectively (past year).

Conclusion: The results encourage further in-depth exploration of trust-related aspects of the therapeutic alliance and investigation of mechanisms of change in therapeutic processes that may facilitate the transition from mistrust and credulity to trust.

Clinical implications: Even though the magnitude and direction of effects remain to be clarified, patients with epistemic mistrust may enter a self-reinforcing cycle of reduced openness and ineffective mentalizing, potentially impacting therapeutic effectiveness. Interventions targeting epistemic disruption and impaired personality functioning seem to be crucial for improving therapeutic outcomes, including psychopharmacological treatment effectiveness.

Background: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a common treatment for depression and anxiety in adolescents but are associated with an increased incidence of bipolar disorder (BD). Whether this relationship is causal remains unclear.

Objective: We applied a quasi-experimental design to national registry data, using an instrumental variable (IV) approach (regional variation in prescribing practice) to investigate for a causal relationship between adolescent SSRI treatment and subsequent risk of BD.

Methods: We used national electronic health register data on individuals born 1991-1998 followed to maximum age 32 years, looking at individuals diagnosed with unipolar depression in adolescence. Using regional variation in prescribing practice as an IV, we compared risk of BD in adolescents prescribed vs not prescribed SSRIs (fluoxetine, sertraline or citalopram).

Findings: In non-IV analyses, adolescents who were prescribed SSRIs had an increased risk of BD, in keeping with previous research. Subsequent IV analyses, however, did not support a causal relationship between SSRI treatment and BD risk, either in the short or long term.

Clinical implications: These findings do not support a causal relationship between SSRI treatment and risk of BD. Rather, they suggest that the apparent relationship between SSRI treatment and later BD may be a result of unmeasured confounding.

Background: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is among the most effective treatments for treatment-resistant mood disorders.

Objective: This study aims to meta-analyse the effects of ECT on all-cause mortality and suicide deaths in severe unipolar or bipolar depression using longitudinal studies.

Study selection and analysis: PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, Embase and Google Scholar were searched from inception through 21 January 2025. Inclusion criteria were: (1) patients with diagnoses of mental disorders; (2) intervention consisted of ECT compared with placebo, usual care or another intervention; (3) all-cause mortality and suicide deaths as outcomes measures; and (4) clinical trial or longitudinal cohort study designs where the aforementioned interventions preceded the observations of outcome measures. Adjusted HR with their corresponding 95% CIs were estimated using random-effects models. Moderator analyses were also performed.

Findings: Overall, 17 studies consisting of 1 182 501 individuals (n=40 867 for patients with ECT, n=1 141 634 for patients with non-ECT) were included. 94.1% of the studies focused on patients with unipolar or bipolar depression and one study was focused on schizoaffective disorder. ECT was associated with a reduction in risk of all-cause mortality (HR 0.70 (95% CI 0.61 to 0.81); p<0.001), a finding that was consistent at 3 months, 6 months and 12 months of follow-up. Regions had a moderating effect; Japan had the largest effect size (HR 0.17 (95% CI 0.04 to 0.72)) and Denmark had the smallest (HR 0.87 (95% CI 0.83 to 0.92)). ECT was associated with a reduction in suicide risk at 3 months of follow-up (HR 0.53 (95% CI 0.39 to 0.72); p<0.001) but not at 1, 6 or 12 months of follow-up.

Conclusions: ECT is associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality. However, ECT use for suicide protection appears transient and inconsistent.

Clinical implications: ECT may be safely used among patients with severe unipolar or bipolar depression.

Prospero registration number: CRD42025641749.