A 10-Year Fight to Rein in Pharmaceutical Promotion
From The Chronicle of Higher Education: Last week, 200 doctors and scientists assembled at Georgetown University for the 10th annual conference of PharmedOut, an educational...
A University Ethics Scandal Turns Into a Business Opportunity
From City Pages: In a 2014 University of Minnesota research scandal, a young man was coerced into an experimental drug study conducted by his psychiatrist that...
Tiger Woods Told Officers During Arrest He had Taken Xanax
From STAT: Last month, when Tiger Woods was arrested for driving under the influence, he told officers that he had taken prescription medications including opioid...
Benzodiazepine Use May Become Long-Term
From Psychiatric News: According to a new study, patients who take antidepressants simultaneously with benzodiazepines are at an increased risk of becoming long-term benzodiazepine users.
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Coroner Warns of Deaths Involving Young People and Drugs
From The Irish News: Steven Coyle, a 27-year-old father of two, recently died of complications resulting from a cocktail of prescription medications for depression, anxiety,...
Growing Use of Smart Drugs by Students Could Lead to Disaster
From The Conversation: University students are increasingly using "smart drugs," including amphetamines and Modafinil, to enhance their academic performance. These drugs tend to be addictive and...
Expert Urges Doctors to Stop Prescribing Seroquel for Insomnia
From National Post: Many physicians are prescribing a low dose of Seroquel, an atypical antipsychotic, to patients with insomnia. Experts warn that even a low...
Researchers Question the Utility of an ADHD Diagnosis
A new article examines the usefulness of the ADHD diagnosis and suggests alternatives
Michelle Carter Found Guilty in Landmark Texting Suicide Case
From The Boston Herald: Michelle Carter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for repeatedly encouraging her high school boyfriend to kill himself via text...
How Helpers Empathize may Affect Their Personal Well-being
Researchers distinguish between two different forms of perspective taking and examine their impact on helpersâ wellbeing.
Do Antidepressants Increase Risk of Adult Suicide?
From From Insults to Respect: It is commonly assumed that antidepressants increase the risk of suicide in children and young adults, but not in adults...
Missouri Sued for Over-Drugging Foster Children
From Reuters: Two youth legal advocacy groups have filed a lawsuit against Missouri for over-exposing foster children to psychotropic drugs. The lawsuit seeks a court...
Those at High Risk for Psychosis More Likely From Deprived Neighborhoods
A recent study published in Schizophrenia Research examines the incidence individuals deemed âUltra High-Riskâ (UHR) for psychosis and their neighborhood of residence
Trial Over Suicide and Texting Lays Bare Pain of 2 Teenagers
From The New York Times: Michelle Carter, a 20-year-old woman, is currently being tried for urging her boyfriend to kill himself via text message. According to...
A Radical Hypothesis: Give Patients Drugs They Know Don’t Work
In this interview for Vox, Ted Kaptchuk discusses his research on the effectiveness of giving open-label placebos - sugar pills that the doctors admit are...
New Data on the Adverse Effects of Meditation and Mindfulness
Study reports on the less-examined findings of difficult and painful meditation-related experiences.
World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day: Official Launch
World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day has just launched its official website, w-bad.org. The new site includes useful information about benzodiazepines, ideas for taking action, and video...
Are Pharmaceutical Companies to Blame for the Opioid Epidemic?
From The Atlantic: As opioid abuse rises, some attorneys general and advocates are filing lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies for misleading doctors and the public about...
Big Pharma Might Be Intentionally Confusing You
From Benzinga: The FDA has suggested that drug commercials may intentionally list potential side effects in such a rapid-fire, overwhelming way that the warning messages...
Ohio Attorney General Sues Prescription Opioid Manufacturers
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine has filed a lawsuit against five leading prescription opioid manufacturers and their related companies in Ross County Court of Common...
Moral Enhancement Technologies are Reportedly Ineffective, Impractical, and Unwise
A new paper published in Bioethics assesses proposals to âenhance moralityâ through neuropharmacological and neurotechnological interventions.
We Need to Stop Prescribing Antidepressants in Primary Care
In this op-ed for Pulse, Des Spence argues the case for dramatically reducing antidepressant prescriptions, as antidepressants are often completely ineffective and unnecessary.
"Clearly psychological pain,...
In Praise of Defiance
From Aeon: Throughout history, psychiatry has pathologized defiance and continues to label individuals who resist authority and stand up for their rights as mentally ill....
How FDA Avoided Finding Adult Antidepressant Suicidality
The studies that the FDA relied upon for adults over age 24 were dismally flawed and untrustworthy compared to the ones used for children. The child studies showed that antidepressants can cause suicidality â the adult studies showed nothing other than FDA collusion with drug companies.
PTSD and Psychiatric Medication Linked to Dementia in Older Veterans
Veterans diagnosed with PTSD and taking SSRIs, novel antidepressants, or atypical antipsychotics are more likely to develop dementia.
