STOP or GO? Tapering Pregnant Women off of Antidepressants
A team in the Netherlands is currently investigating the effects of tapering off of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during pregnancy....
âMore Child Suicides Are Linked to A.D.D. Than Depression, Study Suggestsâ
The New York Times reports on a new study finding that âADHDâ is the most common diagnosis for children under 12 who die by...
The ADHD Drug Epidemic: Addiction, Abuse, and Death
A new analysis of FDA data, published on September 10th by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel/MedPage Today, reveals the dangers of the common prescription of...
Psychiatric Drug Ads Lead to More Prescriptions and Worse Treatment
A new analysis published in the The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry investigates the public health effects of direct-to-consumer advertisements for psychiatric drugs. The researchers...
âCanadian Patients Fight Forced Electroshockâ
"A retired nurse, a Harvard-educated musician and others sued British Columbia this week, claiming it forcibly subjects mental health patients to electroconvulsive therapy and...
âFDA Panel Votes to Remove Serious Warning from Pfizerâs Smoking Cessation Pillâ
This week an FDA advisory panel decided to remove warnings of serious psychiatric side effects from the Chantix product label. âIn making its recommendation,...
âFDA questions Pfizer Study of Chantix Psychiatric Effectsâ
Pfizer is petitioning the FDA to remove the black box warning for Chantix which focuses on neuropsychiatric side-effects like suicidality and depression. The regulators...
Review Calls for Critical look at Prescribing Antidepressant Drugs
The August issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics published a review conducted by André F. Carvalho and colleagues regarding the literature around the long-term use...
Review Finds Link Between Recession and Mental Health Issues
A literature review published in BMC Public Health by researchers from Portugal and the Czech Republic summarizes results from 101 studies investigating the effect...
Meta-Analysis Finds Exercise Improves Cognition in Individuals with Schizophrenia
A new review, published in Schizophrenia Bulletin, examines the effects of exercise on cognition in individuals diagnosed with 'schizophrenia.' The results of the meta-analysis...
âSingulair, Montelukast: Asthma Medication Linked to Serious Psychotic Episodes in Childrenâ
ABC News reports on almost 90 cases of children experiencing suicidal thoughts and other psychiatric side effects while taking the common asthma medication Singulair....
Petition Calls on Pharma Companies to Offer Tapering Kits for Depression and Anxiety Drugs
A change.org petition out of the United Kingdom is addressing the extreme difficulty faced by people who attempt to taper off of antidepressants and...
The FDA’s Latest Black Box Warning: Don’t Mix Opioids, Benzos
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration yesterday mandated updated labels for nearly 400 opioids and benzodiazepines, following a review of scientific evidence and a citizen...
Epilepsy Drugs Can Induce Psychosis in Some Patients, Study Finds
In this monthâs issue of the journal Brain a new study investigates whether the drugs prescribed to control seizures can increase the risk of...
âAntipsychotics During Pregnancy Not Tied to Birth Defectsâ
The New York Times Well blog reports on a new study, in JAMA Psychiatry, which found that antipsychotic medicines during pregnancy do not increase the...
Study Finds ADHD Drugs Alter Developing Brain
A new study, published in the JAMA Psychiatry, investigates the effect of stimulant âADHDâ drugs on the brains of children and young adults. The...
âTylenol in Pregnancy Tied to Behavior Problems in Childrenâ
For the New York Timesâ Well blog, Nicholas Bakalar reports on a new study, in JAMA Pediatrics, that found that using acetaminophen (Tylenol) during...
Researching the Link Between SSRIs and Violence
In 2010, my 25-year old son was prescribed Prozac for depression. After a psychiatrist doubled his dose, my son became acutely psychotic and had to be admitted to the hospital. Over the next twelve months, during which time he was treated with antidepressants and neuroleptics, my son had five further psychotic experiences. I thought it might be that my son was having difficulty metabolising the drugs.
Lancet Study Questions Safety of Locked Psychiatric Wards
A new study published in Lancet Psychiatry challenges the common practice of locking psychiatric wards to prevent patients from attempting suicide or leaving against...
Study Identifies Link Between Antidepressants and Newborn Hypertension
A new study, published in the American Journal of Physiology, investigates how the use of antidepressants during pregnancy can lead to a life-threatening lung...
âStudy Finds Mental Health Patients No Better Off Behind Locked Doorsâ
The Lancet Psychiatry published a study last week finding no benefit to locking up patients in mental health hospitals. Data on 145,000 patients found...
Study Examines Experience of Long-Term Antidepressant Use
The use of antidepressants has increased substantially in recent years, yet relatively few studies have asked patients about their experiences with these drugs. A...
Many Psychiatric Patients Sent Home With Multiple Antipsychotics Against Guidelines
Despite the fact that clinical practice guidelines specifically recommend against the use of more than one antipsychotic at once, new research reveals that as...
Researchers Investigate Antidepressant-Induced Suicidal Ideation
An increase in suicidal thoughts is a known and serious side-effect for various types of antidepressants. Recent studies suggest that there may be some...
Study Finds Improved Functioning for âSchizophreniaâ Without Antipsychotics
Long-term treatment with antipsychotic drugs is currently considered the standard treatment for patients diagnosed with âschizophrenia.â A new study challenges this practice, however. The...
