A systematic review, evidence synthesis and meta-analysis of quantitative and qualitative studies evaluating the clinical effectiveness, the cost-effectiveness, safety and acceptability of interventions to prevent postnatal depression.

Background: Postnatal depression (PND) is a major depressive disorder in the year following childbirth, which impacts on women, their infants and their families. A range of interventions has been developed to prevent PND.

Objectives: To (1) evaluate the clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, acceptability and safety of antenatal and postnatal interventions for pregnant and postnatal women to prevent PND; (2) apply rigorous methods of systematic reviewing of quantitative and qualitative studies, evidence synthesis and decision-analytic modelling to evaluate the preventive impact on women, their infants and their families; and (3) estimate cost-effectiveness.

Managing child and adolescent mental health problems in primary care: taking the leap from knowledge to practice.

In 2009, a conference at Imperial College London brought together experts on the primary care provision of child and adolescent mental health. The following paper highlights various themes from the conference, and particularly focuses on general practice. Despite international and national guidance, child and adolescent mental health provision in primary care is limited in the UK and globally.

Burnout in European family doctors: the EGPRN study.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of burnout, and of associated factors, amongst family doctors (FDs) in European countries. Methodology. A cross-sectional survey of FDs was conducted using a custom-designed and validated questionnaire which incorporated the Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) as well as questions about demographic factors, working experience, health, lifestyle and job satisfaction.

Health communication and adolescents: what do their emails tell us?

Background: It is widely known that barriers exist in communication between adolescents and health professionals. However, little is known about the actual language used by young people articulating such difficulties and whether email might allow them to overcome these problems.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to investigate concerns and difficulties relating to communication among adolescents seeking online health advice.

Teenagers at risk of unintended pregnancy: identification of practical risk markers for use in general practice from a retrospective analysis of case records in the United Kingdom.

The United Kingdom has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in Western Europe with a high proportion of unintended pregnancies resulting in termination. General practice is one source of contraceptive and sexual advice for teenagers but it is difficult to target young women most at risk. This study was performed to determine whether it was possible to identify any markers that could alert general practitioners to the need to give appropriate opportunistic preventive advice.