Thirteen studies were added in this update, giving a total of 47 randomised controlled trials, with 2985 participants included in the data analyses. The studies focused on six chronic illnesses (painful conditions, cancer, diabetes, asthma, traumatic brain injury and eczema) and evaluated four types of psychological therapies (cognitive behavioural therapy, family therapy, problem solving therapy, multisystemic therapy). 

The authors conclude from their analysis that "there is little evidence for the efficacy of psychological therapies that include parents on most outcome domains of functioning, for a large number of common chronic illnesses in children. However, psychological therapies are efficacious for some outcomes. CBT [cognitive behavioural therapy] that includes parents is beneficial for reducing children's primary symptoms, and PST [problem solving therapy] that includes parents improved parent adaptive behaviour and parent mental health. There is evidence that the beneficial effects can be maintained at follow-up for diabetes-related symptoms in children, and for the mental health of parents of children with cancer and parents who received PST".

The authors suggest that the small number of studies in this review means that future studies are likely to impact on the findings.

This article is available to read in free full text at:  http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD009660.pub3

Eccleston C, Fisher E, Law E, Bartlett J, Palermo TM. (2015). Psychological interventions for parents of children and adolescents with chronic illness. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 4, Art. No.: CD009660.

Fifty-eight studies were included (54 RCTs and four CBA studies), with 7,188 participants. Based on the results from their analysis, the authors conclude that "there is low-quality evidence that [cognitive-behavioural training]  and mental and physical relaxation reduce stress more than no intervention but not more than alternative interventions. There is also low-quality evidence that changing work schedules may lead to a reduction of stress. Other organisational interventions have no effect on stress levels. More randomised controlled trials are needed with at least 120 participants that compare the intervention to a placebo-like intervention. Organisational interventions need better focus on reduction of specific stressors".

This article is available to download and read in free full text at:  http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/enhanced/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD002892.pub5

Ruotsalainen JH, Verbeek JH, Mariné A, Serra C. (2014). Preventing occupational stress in healthcare workers. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 11, CD002892.

The authors conducted meta-analyses of the main interventions. Among the authors conclusion were the following:

• Strong evidence that some interventions for individual smokers increase the likelihood of quitting smoking (including individual and group counselling, pharmacological treatment to overcome nicotine addiction, and multiple interventions targeting smoking cessation as the primary or only outcome). Self-help interventions and social support are less effective. 
• No effect was detected from comprehensive programmes targeting multiple risk factors.
• Limited evidence that participation can be increased by competitions and incentives organised by the employer.

This article is available to read in full text at:  http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD003440.pub4

Cahill K. & Lancaster T. (2014). Workplace interventions for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2, Art. No.: CD003440.

Eligible medical patients (n=444) were allocated to an active treatment group of five-to-ten sessions of adapted cognitive behaviour therapy delivered by hospital-based therapists or to standard care. 

Based on the results of the study, the authors conclude that "this form of adapted cognitive behaviour therapy for health anxiety led to sustained symptomatic benefit over 2 years, with no significant effect on total costs. It deserves wider application in medical care".

Access to the full text of the article is free but registration is required on the Lancet site.

To read the full abstract, and for information on how to access the full text, go to: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61905-4 or contact your DHB library, or organisational or local library for assistance.

Tyrer, P., et al. (2014). Clinical and cost-effectiveness of cognitive behaviour therapy for health anxiety in medical patients: A multicentre randomised controlled trial. The Lancet, 383(9913), 219 - 225.

This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the use of cognitive-based behaviour change techniques as interventions to improve medication adherence.

Fifty-three general practitioners and practice nurses from 27 general practices in Wales (one each at all but one practice) recruited 1827 patients who screened positive for at least one risky behaviour.

Behaviour change counselling was developed from motivational interviewing to enable clinicians to enhance patients’ motivation to change health related behaviour. Clinicians were trained using a blended learning programme called Talking Lifestyles.

Training primary care clinicians in behaviour change counselling using a brief blended learning programme did not increase patients reported beneficial behaviour change at three months or improve biometric and a biochemical measure at 12 months, but it did increase patients’ recollection of discussing behaviour change with their clinicians, intentions to change, attempts to change, and perceptions of having made a lasting change at three months.

The authors conclude that enduring behaviour change and improvements in biometric measures are unlikely after a single routine consultation with a clinician trained in behaviour change counselling without additional intervention.

This is an open access article and is available to read in free full text at: http://www.bmj.com/content/346/bmj.f1191

Butler, C.C., et al. (2013). Training practitioners to deliver opportunistic multiple behaviour change counselling in primary care: A cluster randomised trial. BMJ, 346:f1191.

This is an update of a Cochrane review first published in 2009.

The review is available to read in full text at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD007146.pub3/full

Gillespie, L.D., Robertson, M.C., Gillespie, W.J., Sherrington, C., Gates, S., Clemson, L.M., Lamb, S.E. Interventions for preventing falls in older people living in the community. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 9. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD007146.pub3.

The authors note that there was not strong evidence from indirect comparisons that offering more intensive behavioural support was associated with larger treatment effects but note that this could be because intensive interventions are less likely to be delivered in full.

This Cochrane Review is available to read in full text at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD008286.pub2/full

Stead L.F. & Lancaster T. (2012). Combined pharmacotherapy and behavioural interventions for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 10, doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD008286.pub2.

The authors conclude that both pharmaco- and behavioral therapies for smoking cessation are cost-effective or even cost-saving, although they identify several shortcomings in methodology and a lack of standardisation in economic evaluations. 

To read the full abstract, and for information on how to access the full text, go to: http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031811-124553 or contact your local, DHB or organisational library for assistance.

Prah Ruger, J. & Lazar, C.M. (2012). Economic evaluation of pharmaco- and behavioral therapies for smoking cessation: A critical and systematic review of empirical research. Annual Review of Public Health, 33, 279-305.

The review of fifty trials found that "... effective programmes to stop smoking are those that begin during a hospital stay and include counselling with follow-up support for at least one month after discharge. Such programmes are effective when administered to all hospitalised smokers, regardless of the reason why they were admitted to hospital, and in the subset of smokers who are admitted to hospital with cardiovascular disease. Adding nicotine replacement therapy to a counselling program increases the success rate of a program for hospitalised smokers".

Rigotti NA, Clair C, Munafò MR, Stead LF. (2012). Interventions for smoking cessation in hospitalised patients. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 5. Art. No.: CD001837. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD001837.pub3.

This review is available in full text online at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD001837.pub3/full

• Behavioral Interventions to Promote Diabetes Self-Management
• Evidence-Based Behavioral Treatments for Diabetes: Problem-Solving Therapy
• Coping Skills Training for Youths With Diabetes
• Multiple-Behavior–Change Interventions for Women With Type 2 Diabetes
• Incorporating Motivational Interviewing Into Counseling for Lifestyle Change Among Overweight Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes
• A Review of Volunteer-Based Peer Support Interventions in Diabetes.

To access the full table of contents, and for information on how to access the full text of these articles, go to:http://spectrum.diabetesjournals.org/content/current or contact your local or organisational library for assistance.