3 results
Pilot study of a ketogenic diet in bipolar disorder
- Nicole Needham, Iain H. Campbell, Helen Grossi, Ivana Kamenska, Benjamin P. Rigby, Sharon A. Simpson, Emma McIntosh, Pankaj Bahuguna, Ben Meadowcroft, Frances Creasy, Maja Mitchell-Grigorjeva, John Norrie, Gerard Thompson, Melissa C. Gibbs, Ailsa McLellan, Cheryl Fisher, Tessa Moses, Karl Burgess, Rachel Brown, Michael J. Thrippleton, Harry Campbell, Daniel J. Smith
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- Journal:
- BJPsych Open / Volume 9 / Issue 6 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 10 October 2023, e176
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Background
Recent evidence from case reports suggests that a ketogenic diet may be effective for bipolar disorder. However, no clinical trials have been conducted to date.
AimsTo assess the recruitment and feasibility of a ketogenic diet intervention in bipolar disorder.
MethodEuthymic individuals with bipolar disorder were recruited to a 6–8 week trial of a modified ketogenic diet, and a range of clinical, economic and functional outcome measures were assessed. Study registration number: ISRCTN61613198.
ResultsOf 27 recruited participants, 26 commenced and 20 completed the modified ketogenic diet for 6–8 weeks. The outcomes data-set was 95% complete for daily ketone measures, 95% complete for daily glucose measures and 95% complete for daily ecological momentary assessment of symptoms during the intervention period. Mean daily blood ketone readings were 1.3 mmol/L (s.d. = 0.77, median = 1.1) during the intervention period, and 91% of all readings indicated ketosis, suggesting a high degree of adherence to the diet. Over 91% of daily blood glucose readings were within normal range, with 9% indicating mild hypoglycaemia. Eleven minor adverse events were recorded, including fatigue, constipation, drowsiness and hunger. One serious adverse event was reported (euglycemic ketoacidosis in a participant taking SGLT2-inhibitor medication).
ConclusionsThe recruitment and retention of euthymic individuals with bipolar disorder to a 6–8 week ketogenic diet intervention was feasible, with high completion rates for outcome measures. The majority of participants reached and maintained ketosis, and adverse events were generally mild and modifiable. A future randomised controlled trial is now warranted.
7 Day Follow-Up Arrangements Following Discharge From Psychiatric Hospital; How Do We Perform?
- Jemima Alston, Rozet Balliou, Naomi Erlebach, Zach Evans, Anna Grieve, Silas Hand, Shreya Jindal, Phei Yi Lim, Matt Shaw, Chukyi Wama, Ben Meadowcroft, Douglas Murdie
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- Journal:
- BJPsych Open / Volume 8 / Issue S1 / June 2022
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 20 June 2022, p. S141
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Aims
The first 7 days following discharge from inpatient to community psychiatric services is a period that is associated with an increased risk of suicide. NICE Guideline 53 recommends that patients discharged from inpatient psychiatric services should be reviewed by relevant community services within 7 days. We aim to determine how different teams in NHS Lothian performed in meeting this recommendation, and to ascertain the outcome of a specific intervention in North-West Edinburgh (NW).
MethodsWe collected data of NW, North-East (NE), South-West (SW), South-East (SE) Edinburgh, East Lothian and Midlothian patients discharged from General Adult Psychiatry wards in the Royal Edinburgh Hospital for the calendar year of 2021. East and Midlothian were used as a comparison to Edinburgh services as the former have an integrated inpatient and community team.
The data focused on the percentage of patients followed-up within 7 days of discharge. We also collected data for all NW CMHT patients discharged between January 2018 and November 2021 to analyse the intervention of using ‘Estimated Discharge Dates’ in ward rounds implemented in June 2020. Data were collected from NHS Lothian Analytical Services and anonymised in line with NHS Information Governance Policy.
Furthermore, qualitative data were collected anonymously from staff within NHS Lothian in the form of an online questionnaire to ascertain strengths and weaknesses of the current systems.
ResultsOver the calendar year of 2021, 1,398 patients were discharged. The average age was 41 years old.
Regarding percentage of patients receiving 7 day follow-up, East Lothian (n = 191/249; 76.7%) and Midlothian (n = 95/122; 77.9%) performed better than Edinburgh services; NW (n = 173/268; 64.6%), NE (n = 172/301, 57.1%), SW (n = 155/247, 62.8%), SE (n = 123/211; 58.3%).
The intervention in NW in June 2020 did not have a significant impact on 7 day follow-up.
The questionnaire identified difficulties in transitions from inpatient to community care, particularly communication between teams.
ConclusionThe performance of East and Midlothian versus Edinburgh services is interesting given their integrated model. This appears to support the findings of the questionnaire.
The lack of impact of the intervention in NW will need explored further with the team to identify difficulties.
Rather than complete service remodelling, perhaps moving towards a more integrated approach such as allocated discharge-coordinating community and inpatient nurses would be worthwhile. We will involve the NHS Lothian Quality Improvement team in exploring this to improve patient outcomes.
Lockdown stringency and paediatric self-harm presentations during COVID-19 pandemic: retrospective cohort study
- Ben Hoi-ching Wong, Mehrak Vaezinejad, Paul L. Plener, Tauseef Mehdi, Liana Romaniuk, Elizabeth Barrett, Haseena Hussain, Alexandra Lloyd, Jovanka Tolmac, Manish Rao, Sulagna Chakrabarti, Sara Carucci, Omer S. Moghraby, Rachel Elvins, Farah Rozali, Ereni Skouta, Fiona McNicholas, Benjamin Baig, Dejan Stevanovic, Peter Nagy, Chiara Davico, Hassan Mirza, Evren Tufan, Fatima Youssef, Ben Meadowcroft, Dennis Ougrin
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- Journal:
- BJPsych Open / Volume 8 / Issue 2 / March 2022
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 24 March 2022, e75
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Background
Lockdown during the pandemic has had significant impacts on public mental health. Previous studies suggest an increase in self-harm and suicide in children and adolescents. There has been little research on the roles of stringent lockdown.
AimsTo investigate the mediating and predictive roles of lockdown policy stringency measures in self-harm and emergency psychiatric presentations.
MethodThis was a retrospective cohort study. We analysed data of 2073 psychiatric emergency presentations of children and adolescents from 23 hospital catchment areas in ten countries, in March to April 2019 and 2020.
ResultsLockdown measure stringency mediated the reduction in psychiatric emergency presentations (incidence rate ratio of the natural indirect effect [IRRNIE] = 0.41, 95% CI [0.35, 0.48]) and self-harm presentations (IRRNIE = 0.49, 95% CI [0.39, 0.60]) in 2020 compared with 2019. Self-harm presentations among male and looked after children were likely to increase in parallel with lockdown stringency. Self-harm presentations precipitated by social isolation increased with stringency, whereas school pressure and rows with a friend became less likely precipitants. Children from more deprived neighbourhoods were less likely to present to emergency departments when lockdown became more stringent,
ConclusionsLockdown may produce differential effects among children and adolescents who self-harm. Development in community or remote mental health services is crucial to offset potential barriers to access to emergency psychiatric care, especially for the most deprived youths. Governments should aim to reduce unnecessary fear of help-seeking and keep lockdown as short as possible. Underlying mediation mechanisms of stringent measures and potential psychosocial inequalities warrant further research.