Yearly Archives: 2019
Virginia Study Finds Increased School Bullying in Areas That Voted for Trump
From NPR: "If these conversations are happening on the TV and at the dinner table... these kids will take this perspective and they're going to play out in the schools."
Lown Institute’s 2nd Annual ‘Shkreli Awards’ Reveals Worst in Health Care in 2018
From Lown Institute: "It’s hard to ignore the epidemic of corruption and greed in health care when you see these stories all together."
Prenatal Valproate Exposure Linked with ADHD Diagnosis in Children
Children who were exposed to anti-seizure drug valproate in utero were 48% more likely to develop ADHD, according to a new study.
Co-Responder Teams Changing How Minn. Police Deal With Mental Health Calls
From MinnPost: "We can really take the time to listen to somebody; hear what they’re going through; help them feel a little bit understood… it can make a big difference."
Study Links Antidepressants and Decreased Coping Behaviors Across Generations
Biologists found that exposure to antidepressants suppresses important survival behaviors in zebrafish, an effect that persisted across three generations and was found to be more severe for males.
Open Dialogue: Does the Current Research Data Support Further Investment?
A leading US journal published an extensive literature review and analysis of currently available research on Open Dialogue. An accompanying commentary concludes, “The present data on Open Dialogue are insufficient to warrant calls for further research on the program other than those projects that are currently under way.”
How PhRMA Finally Lost: The Inside Story of the Group’s Biggest Lobbying Failure in...
From STAT: On January 1, it became official: A change took effect that will cost the industry nearly $12 billion over the next 10 years.
Suicide, Ketamine, the Propaganda Model and the New York Times
A lengthy NYT op-ed had offered what I considered to be a fairly insane solution: “an old anesthetic called ketamine that, at low doses, can halt suicidal thoughts almost immediately.” Despite recognizing how much power the psychiatric-pharmaceutical industrial complex has over the NYT, I submitted my own op-ed in response.
Ten Hospitalizations in Three Years
When the psychiatrist prescribed me Zoloft, he did not warn me that it could cause a manic episode. So my second hospitalization was a disaster. A mental hospital is like a deranged dystopian high school. The upstairs was chaotic, dangerous, and violent. Sometimes people were yelling and throwing things. But these weren’t the most harmful moments.
Q&A: May I Take My Foster Child Off Her Drug Cocktail?
I recently became the foster parent of a 10-year-old girl. She is on a cocktail of several medications prescribed to treat behavioral problems, according to her social worker. They don't really seem to help her. What are the considerations involved with withdrawing her from the meds, and what power do I have to influence this decision?
Dadirri: Australian Aboriginal Practice of ‘Deep Listening’ for Trauma Release, Healing
From Ultra Kulture: For centuries we’ve largely ignored the wisdom of those among us who are still directly connected to ancestral ways of knowledge.
Can Cultural Engagement Protect Against Depression?
A new study examines the preventative effects of cultural engagement has on depression among older adults.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: An Infographic on Bipolar Drugs
Bipolar drug therapy is a balancing act of benefits vs. harms. Odds of attributable benefit cluster in a 15-25% band, so 75%-85% don’t see substantial benefit. Stated differently, if five people take a bipolar drug, only one is likely to see substantial improvement due to it, but all five will have side effects.
Voices, Visions and Other Realities: Psychosis365, Now Live
From HUMANE Clinic, Adelaide, Australia: A new project by the HUMANE Clinic provides an alternative to the challenging and often unfounded perceptions of what our society calls "psychosis."
Individuals with Psychosis Symptoms More Likely to be Victimized
Individuals diagnosed with a psychotic disorder are 4-6 times more likely than the general population to experience victimization.
Psychiatric Hospitals With Safety Violations Still Get Accreditation
From The Wall Street Journal: Psychiatric hospitals kept their accreditation after patients said they were raped or assaulted; died by suicide; slept on chairs due to crowding; and more.
More Research Needed on Climate Change-Related Ecological Grief
Researchers outline the concept of ecologically driven grief due to climate change and recommend future research to better understand the psychological impact of climate change.
Tumbling Further Down the Rabbit Hole of Antidepressant Withdrawal Research
One of the criticisms of our systematic review was that it failed to include five randomised control trials. Here we will show how groundless this is, and thus gain insight into how shadowy and ethically suspect antidepressant withdrawal research can get when viewed up close.
How Love Can Reformat Our Lives
I say this about myself and everyone I have known in my life and work: No matter how overwhelmed and desperate we feel, recovery and growth depend on becoming open to loving and being loved, and seeming miracles occur when individuals change their life in recognition of these truths. Love wipes the slate clean.
Boys Need More Help With Mental Health. Why Aren’t They Getting It?
From NBC News: "Mental health has become a crisis among America’s youth, and experts say the unique challenges and needs of young men are not...
What is Contributory Injustice in Psychiatry?
An article on contributory injustice describes the clinical and ethical imperative that clinicians listen to service users experiences.
A Tale About the Inside: Human Rights Violations From a Typical Stay in an...
From Everything Matters: Beyond Meds: This facility was in violation of all Georgia State and Federal Statutes protecting patients under the Disability Act. There are patients being violently abused there right now.
Philosophers Challenge Psychiatry and its Search for Mechanisms of Disorder
Attempting to locate the mechanisms of psychiatric disorder is a step in the wrong direction and fails to challenge potentially unjust social practices.
Cops Who Left Two Mental-Health Patients to Drown Charged With Manslaughter
From The Daily Beast: Flood, who was driving the vehicle, will also be charged with two counts of reckless homicide for allegedly taking what he knew to be a dangerous route.
In Recovery From Antidepressants: How Patients Are Helping Each Other Withdraw
From Yahoo Lifestyle: Many are taking matters into their own hands through a collective effort that represents a burgeoning international movement.
