Yearly Archives: 2019
Federally Funded Health Researchers Disclose Millions in Conflicts of Interest
From ProPublica: The database of disclosures reported to the NIH, which has not been made public before, details the financial relationships of researchers at universities, hospitals and nonprofit organizations.
The House of Cards with Informed Consent Standards
I recently submitted a recommendation to Oregon’s mental health officials as they consider revising their clinical standards. If adopted, my proposal will open the door to a much wider recognition of the role that poorly conducted informed consent plays in the excessive use of psychiatric medications.
What is the Evidence for Empirically Supported Treatments in Psychology?
New meta-scientific review questions the evidence for the gold standard psychotherapies and empirically supported treatments.
Twin Studies and Ken Burns’ Upcoming Documentary on “The Gene: An Intimate History”
Siddhartha Mukherjee clearly knew little about the evidence supporting his claim that schizophrenia is a “genetic disease,” yet he thought he knew enough to reach strong conclusions in favor of genetics in what would become an award-winning book that was turned into a Ken Burns documentary.
Trevor Noah: The Black Community’s Mental Health Treatment Crisis
From Comedy Central/The Daily Show with Trevor Noah: The Daily Show's Trevor Noah wonders if we could help solve the mental health treatment crisis among Black Americans by making therapy a little more like church.
Growing Research Connects Nutrition and Mental Health
A new article reviews studies in the field of nutritional psychiatry and how nutrition can prevent and treat mental health issues.
The Media’s New Hashtag: #GuardianshipIsGood for Britney Spears
Recent press coverage of top star Britney Spears, who remains under a personal and professional guardianship, reflects conventional attitudes about “mental illness” that are both stigmatizing and encourage legislation that promotes forced treatment.
A Dreaded Part of Teachers’ Jobs: Restraining and Secluding Students
From NPR: "There's a tension within me of knowing that if I am to restrain a student, then I'm essentially putting forth a situation that's going to create trauma for that student."
Are Regulatory Bodies Prioritising Drug Company Interests Over Public Safety?
The UK’s Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency is refusing to respond to the concerns of psychiatrists, parliamentarians, patients and other experts about the impending licensing of the street drug ketamine as a treatment for depression.
Ketamine for Harmful Drinking: A Look at the Data
New research contends that ketamine can reduce problematic alcohol use but does the data support the claims?
Playing in a Brass Band Can Help People Overcome Depression, Anxiety
From The Telegraph: Sheffield University researchers found that brass band players report perceived improvements in physical health, mental well-being and social engagement.
Blaming Climate Change Inaction on Psychological Barriers Misses the Point
Researchers argue that blaming climate change inaction on psychological barriers ignores the effects of neoliberal capitalism and social structures.
What’s in a Name? Ghostly Spirits Stalk the Medical Literature
From FairWarning: In an age of distortion, propaganda and fake news, medical literature might seem to be a safe space for honest scientific inquiry, with no room for bias or spin. It isn’t so.
Prescribing an Epidemic: A Veteran’s Story
Had I known what I know now, I never would have taken any of these drugs, and I absolutely would not have taken a role in which my outreach efforts to get veterans into mental health treatment might place thousands of lives at risk.
Is Australia’s Psychiatric System Redeemable?
We have reached the point where we have to ask: Is psychiatry doing anything useful for society, or has it degenerated to an insatiable, high-cost and self-sustaining rentier gorging on the public purse? The Australian Productivity Commission is holding an enquiry into mental health; it is to be hoped that this will assist in the process of uncovering the truth.
Peter Breggin and Michael Cornwall – Stop the Psychiatric Abuse of Children
An interview with Drs. Peter Breggin and Michael Cornwall who discuss their new initiative, Stop the Psychiatric Abuse of Children (SPAC!). SPAC! was formed in response to the introduction of the Monarch eTNS, an electrical stimulation device worn on a child’s forehead at night that was fast-tracked by FDA with little testing.
Toxic Schools Worsening Toxic Stress: The Destructive Reign of Standardized Education, Pathology, Medication and...
From HERE This NOW: Advances in science in the last thirty years help us realize the fallacy of "mind over matter," yet we still hold an entrenched belief that children and adults possess 100% conscious control over their behavior.
The Field of Mental Health Has Gone Astray, But We Can Fix It
People should have real choice. The research and knowledge about how to work differently are already there. Now we need politicians and policymakers to force the change and make it happen in the established services. Mad in Norway will be a leading voice in ensuring this change.
Why is the Field of Psychotherapy Still Fractured into Different Approaches?
Psychotherapy is dominated by contradicting schools of thought, exhibits a gap between research and practice, and repackages old ideas rather than finding clinical consensus.
Pervasive Industry Influence in Healthcare Sector Harms Patients
Experts across the globe point to the harms of drug companies’ influence on research, practice, and education in healthcare noting that it compromises patient care.
Dr. Huda Has Written His Book: ‘The Medical Model in Mental Health’
Anti-psychiatry writers have devoted a good deal of time and energy to highlighting the distinction between general medicine, which I call real medicine, and psychiatry, which I call a hoax. The basic theme of Dr. Huda's book is that this distinction is not valid, and that psychiatry's claim to medical status is as well-founded as any bona fide medical specialty.
Kamala Harris’s ‘Mental Health’ Plan: Why It Still Matters
Harris’s plan was met with vociferous condemnation from psychiatric survivors, civil libertarians, and disability justice advocates, who vowed to fight it. While Harris has dropped out of the presidential race, the ideas behind her policy proposal have existed for decades, and are likely to endure.
Researchers Critique WHO Mental Health Technology
Researchers critically examine the underlying assumptions and implications of a new WHO mental health technology designed to streamline psychiatric assessment internationally.
What Does ‘Relapse’ Mean? Definitions Used in Antipsychotic Trials Are Unclear
Antipsychotic drugs are prescribed on the basis of trials that demonstrate a higher rate of ‘relapse’ in people who are withdrawn from these drugs compared to those who continue to take them. Yet, incredibly, there is no consensus about what ‘relapse’ means in this situation.
‘When We Look Back in 20 Years’ Time, This Will Be a Turning Point’
From The Psychologist: "It really is a first for a government-level report to look into [antidepressant withdrawal] in-depth and come out with strong recommendations acknowledging the extent of the problem," said Professor John Read.
