BACKGROUND The cost-utility of brief therapy compared with cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and care as usual in the treatment of depression and anxiety has not yet been determined. AIMS To assess the cost-utility of brief therapy compared with CBT and care as usual. METHOD A pragmatic randomised controlled trial involving 702 patients was conducted at 7 Dutch mental healthcare centres (...

OBJECTIVE As long-term results of conservative treatment for obesity are discouraging, bariatric surgery is becoming a treatment option for extremely obese adolescents. However, mental and behavioral problems need to be respected when treating this vulnerable target group. METHODS A detailed systematic literature review on pre- and post-operative depressive, anxiety and eating disorder sympto...

Severe hyperemesis gravidarum causes profound maternal morbidity. Termination of pregnancy is still offered before the use of medical therapy. This report describes management of a woman who had undergone two previous terminations for hyperemesis, and additionally presents the dosage profile of prednisolone used to successfully manage a consecutive series of 33 women with severe hyperemesis gra...

BACKGROUND Attrition is a problem among patients who participate in commercial weight loss programs. One possible explanation is that if patients are unable to reach a weight that they expect to achieve, they may be more likely to drop out of treatment. This study investigated variables associated with attrition among 30 obese patients who completed a liquid meal replacement program (LMR) and e...

BACKGROUND There is insufficient evidence to determine whether acupuncture is a cost-effective treatment for irritable bowel syndrome. The objective of this study is to assess the cost-effectiveness of acupuncture as an adjunct to usual care versus usual care alone for the treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). METHODS Cost-utility analysis conducted alongside a pragmatic, multicentre, ...