Register
Healthed-White-on-Blue

Articles

Read the latest articles relevant to your clinical practice, including exclusive insights from Healthed surveys and polls.

By reading selected clinical articles, you earn CPD in the Educational Activities (EA) category whenever you click the “Claim CPD” button and follow the prompts. 

How music therapy can help anxious children
Elizabeth Coombes
  • Clinical Articles

How music therapy can help anxious children

According to the NHS, as many as one in eight children aged five to 19 faces a mental health challenge. And a significant number of these cases are related to some form of anxiety. Of course, a degree of anxiety or worry may be a normal state of affairs for young people – particularly when moving schools, or around exam time. But for some, anxiety can affect every aspect of their daily lives. One effective method of providing support for this anxiety is music therapy, where music becomes the main tool the therapist uses to connect and work with the patient. This kind of therapy has been shown to be effective when treating children and young people living with anxiety based disorders.

By Elizabeth Coombes
Better eating improves depression in young people
Dr Linda Calabresi
  • Clinical Articles

Better eating improves depression in young people

Improving a young person’s diet might be the key to helping them overcome their depressive symptoms, according to new Australian research. In a randomised controlled trial of just over 100 people with elevated levels of depression symptoms and a regular diet that was assessed as poor, researchers found that those allocated to the ‘diet change’ group, on average improved to the point of having no clinically significant symptoms after just three weeks. This was in stark contrast to the ‘habitual diet control group’ who unsurprisingly, showed no improvement in symptoms over the duration of the study.

By Dr Linda Calabresi
Holding on to Hope podcast
Dr Linda Calabresi
  • Clinical Articles

Holding on to Hope podcast

A patient’s potential to suicide haunts most GPs at some stage in their working life. Many patients will endure incredibly stressful periods in their lives, and while you can offer all the support in the world there will always be the question of whether they need more. In such situations, help offered by a person who can say “I understand – I’ve been there” can be invaluable. That’s where this resource comes into its own.

By Dr Linda Calabresi
Nursing homes need to provide multicultural care
Helen Rawson
  • Clinical Articles

Nursing homes need to provide multicultural care

This week, the aged care royal commission looks at diversity in aged care, an issue becoming increasingly relevant to both residents and the staff who care for them. Diversity includes gender, sexual orientation, religion and social background. The issue is important because if we aim to offer older people and families choice and control in aged care, we must meet the diverse needs of all older people. Australia’s rich diversity is reflected in its older population. In 2016, more than one-third (37%) of Australians aged 65 and over were born overseas and one-fifth (20%) were born in a non-English speaking country. These figures have increased continually since 1981, when one-quarter (25%) of older people were born overseas.

By Helen Rawson
Help for LGBTI patients
Dr Linda Calabresi
  • Clinical Articles

Help for LGBTI patients

Here is a useful resource for those GPs who have patients who are struggling with issues related to their sexuality and need more specifically tailored support. Even though there is much more awareness and openness about different sexual orientations, it is likely GPs will appreciate the support of this free counselling and referral service developed for people who are LGBTI.

By Dr Linda Calabresi
1 in 3 young adults is lonely – and it affects their mental health
Dr Michelle H Lim
  • Clinical Articles

1 in 3 young adults is lonely – and it affects their mental health

More than one in three young adults aged 18 to 25 reported problematic levels of loneliness, according to a new report from Swinburne University and VicHealth. We surveyed 1,520 Victorians aged 12 to 25, and examined their experience of loneliness. We also asked about their symptoms of depression and social anxiety. Overall, one in four young people (aged 12 to 25) reported feeling lonely for three or more days within the last week. Among 18 to 25 year olds, one in three (35%) reported feeling lonely three or more times a week. We also found that higher levels of loneliness increases a young adult’s risk of developing depression by 12% and social anxiety by 10%. Adolescents aged 12 to 17 reported better outcomes, with one in seven (13%) feeling lonely three or more times a week. Participants in this age group were also less likely to report symptoms of depression and social anxiety than the 18 to 25 year olds.

By Dr Michelle H Lim
Improving male fertility – a missed opportunity
Dr Linda Calabresi
  • Clinical Articles

Improving male fertility – a missed opportunity

Lack of knowledge and lack of opportunity are two key reasons why Australian GPs aren’t counselling men about how to improve their fertility. According to a survey of over 300 practising GPs, the vast majority (90%) did not feel confident in their knowledge about modifiable risk factors that affect male fertility. And when the researchers got specific, it appeared there was greater awareness of the potential of STIs and smoking to cause fertility problems than a number of other factors such as obesity, undernutrition and poor diet, paternal age and diabetes.

By Dr Linda Calabresi
Managing young people with ADHD – from personal experience
Samantha Kitchen
  • Clinical Articles

Managing young people with ADHD – from personal experience

The usual medical focus in articles about ADHD is on how to support the family that is coping with a child with ADHD. Another common focus is about the misdiagnosis of ADHD, and how medication is overprescribed. This article is different. I want to emphasise, from personal experience, the importance of empowering the child or young adult who has ADHD. I also appreciate the chance to explain to others how it feels to have ADHD so they understand the difficulties people like me have.

By Samantha Kitchen
shutterstock_526500217
Dr Lawrie Bott
  • Clinical Articles

Hyperkalaemia – harmless artefact or medical emergency?

Elevated potassium is one of the most vexing problems faced by a clinician because of the difficulty knowing whether an elevated level (for example, 7.5mmol/L) is a harmless artefact or imminently lethal hyperkalaemia. The clinical background is critical to interpretation.

By Dr Lawrie Bott
shutterstock_1285836277
Dr Linda Calabresi
  • Clinical Articles

Treating menopausal symptoms in 2019

Hormone replacement therapy has recently hit the headlines again and not in a good way. A research paper published in The Lancet reignited the controversy by again highlighting an association between hormone therapy and breast cancer. While the experts have been quick in their response, pointing out the numerous limitations of the study and the researchers’ conclusions, it is still more than likely GPs will again be grilled about the latest evidence with regard to this treatment. It’s an area of medicine that certainly has been heavily scrutinised over the past couple of decades and as such it is important GPs have ready access to the latest guidelines to best practice. Here is a great little resource that fits the bill perfectly.

By Dr Linda Calabresi
shutterstock_1077329474
Kassia Beetham
  • Clinical Articles

Is vigorous exercise safe during the third trimester of pregnancy?

Expectant mothers receive an avalanche of information about potential risks to their baby. There’s a growing list of foods, toxins and environmental threats to avoid. It’s normal for this to lead to an increased level of anxiety. As a result, some women believe it’s safer to avoid any risks in pregnancy, no matter how small. Vigorous exercise may be considered one of these risks. But we’ve recently reviewed the research and found vigorous exercise is safe during pregnancy, including in the third trimester. And not only is it safe; it’s healthy, too.

By Kassia Beetham
shutterstock_1452732365
Dr Linda Calabresi
  • Clinical Articles

Do supplements help in mental illness?

Even primary school children know a good diet and proper nutrition is important if you want to be physically healthy. Eat the wrong things or insufficient of the good things and chances are you’re destined to develop heart problems, diabetes or cancer. But what about a person’s psychological health? How important is diet and nutrition in mental health? And is there any evidence that people treat or prevent mental illness by taking particular nutrients, supplements or vitamins?

By Dr Linda Calabresi

Education by clinicians, for clinicians

Get the app

Site

Company

Connect

Legal

Discover

Healthed

CPD platform