Around The Web

Updates on critical psychiatry postings across the Internet.

“Has Psychology Sold Out to Psychiatry?”

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On his "From Insults to Respect" blog, psychologist Jeff Rubin examines the APA’s participation in the labeling practices promoted by psychiatry. “It just so...

Why Loneliness Affects so Many Young People

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From Vice: The importance placed on self-sufficiency, extreme individualism, and competitive self-interest in our society has contributed to widespread loneliness among millennials. Article →­

Sometimes Giving a Person a Choice is an Act of Terrible Cruelty

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From Aeon: We tend to believe that giving people more choices is inherently positive. However, forcing people to choose between two morally wrong options can be...

Clinical Intuition, Clinical Trials, and the Library at Alexandria

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1 Boring Old Man revisits the question of reliance on clinical intuition vs. research, and watching the research upon which his young career was...

“11 Reasons Why Cat Bites May Be Linked To Depression”

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Research has shown a correlation between schizophrenia and exposure to cat bites or scratches.  This has been theorized to be due to the effects...

St. Elizabeths Has Increased Usage of Restraints on Patients, Report Says

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From The Washington Post: “On multiple occasions, St. Elizabeths staff disregarded the legal and policy requirements of using restraint and seclusion that were promulgated to prevent widespread use and abuse,” the report said.

“The Psychology of Terrorism: Q&A with John Horgan”

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The Scientific American reprints their interview with psychologist and terrorism expert John Horgan following the attacks in Paris on November 13th. “An issue I find problematic right now is the idea that to prevent terrorism, we have to first prevent radicalization… There are far more people who hold "radical" views than will ever become involved in terrorism, and there are plenty of terrorists (who are already small in number – a point we tend to forget) who don’t initially hold radical views but drift into terrorism regardless.”

“Kids’ Anxiety – it’s a Normal Part of Growing up”

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Psychology professor Line Caes writes for The Conversation: “While it’s important to acknowledge children’s worries and reassure them that things are okay, children at...

Webinar Discussion – Rethinking Madness

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A free recording of last week's webinar anchored to Phil Borges' Crazywise, a documentary exploring alternative approaches to mental health, is now available. Over 4,000 people...

Who Names Diseases?

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From Aeon: The World Health Organization (WHO) recently issued new guidelines requiring diseases to be named for generic descriptive terms, instead of regional or politically...

Newly-Revised List of Industry-Independent Experts for Journalists

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From HealthNewsReview: For nine years, HealthNewsReview has hosted a one-of-a-kind list of health care industry-independent experts for journalists. The list has now been revised with new...

Playing Up the Benefits of Play at Work

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From the Association for Psychological Science: New research has found evidence that play at work is associated with less fatigue, boredom, stress, and burnout in...

“Lithium Toxicity – What You Need to Know”

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An article on About.com notes the dangers of lithium. Abstract → 

Why Nutritional Psychiatry is the Future of Mental Health

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From The Independent: The role that nutrition can play in improving our mental health is often overlooked. Research suggests that we should devote more resources to dietary...

“Are Doctors Diagnosing Too Many Kids With ADHD?”

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Salon.com points out that "While data point to at least some over diagnosis (of ADHD), at least in boys, the extent of this problem...

The Lancet Psychiatry “Diagnosis Debate” Continues

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The Lancet Psychiatry's December issue includes two letters commenting on Mary Boyle and Lucy Johnstone's article, "Alternatives to psychiatric diagnosis," along with a new...

Not Just Soldiers: Civilians with PTSD Struggle to Find Effective Therapy

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From NPR: The National Council for Behavioral Health calls trauma a 'near universal experience' for those with mental and behavioral issues, yet finding knowledgeable help is difficult.

“The Post-Irene Mental Health System of Care”

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-Hurricane Irene seems to have left some community-based approaches to psychiatric care in its wake.

A Ketamine-Like Spray Is Approved to Treat Suicidal Behavior

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From The Cut: While ketamine is a somewhat controversial drug, the nasal spray’s approval comes at a time when doctors are concerned about increased suicide rates amid a seemingly never-ending pandemic.

“F.D.A. Targets Inaccurate Medical Tests, Citing Dangers and Costs”

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Following an eye-opening FDA report, the Obama administration is attempting to pass tighter regulations on medical tests. “Inaccurate and unreliable medical tests are prompting...

“Bernie Sanders Blocks Obama’s FDA Nominee for Big Pharma Ties”

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Yesterday, senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders announced that he will formally oppose Robert Califf’s nomination as FDA commissioner. “Dr. Califf’s extensive ties to...

“fMRI and False Positives: A Basic Flaw?”

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For Discover Magazine, Neuroskeptic covers the pioneering work of Anders Eklund, which points to flaws in the analysis of psychiatric and neurological research using...

Using Paint, Pen on Paper or Song to Revisit Trauma

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From The Conversation: The literary, visual, and performing arts can play an important role in helping people process trauma, especially for those who have difficulty...

A Review of the Debate over Antidepressants’ Safety and Efficacy in Children

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Glen Spielmans, an associate professor of psychology, reviews the controversy over Robert Gibbons' studies which challenged the view that antidepressants are ineffective and cause...

“Mental health: On the spectrum”

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Nature writes of the paucity of agreement on how to define or describe mental illness. "The problem is that biologists have been unable to...