Could Anesthesia Be Harming Children?
-Scientific American visits the question of whether exposure to anesthesia during early childhood can lead to cognitive or behavioral problems later in life.
Is an Open Data Revolution Almost Here?
-Tom Jefferson updates on the "revolution" promised by European Medicines Agency policies on publicly releasing more detailed data from drug clinical trials.
ADHD Stimulant For Binge-eating and Now Also For Menopause?
-HealthNewsReview.org looks at the research and concludes there's little evidence that women experience loss of executive functions during menopause, or that an ADHD drug could help if they did.
“Trust” In Therapeutic Relationship Key to Moderating Psychedelic Risks
-Psychiatry Advisor reports on psychiatrist James Rucker's campaign for more research into the therapeutic potentials of psychedelic drugs, and on critics who point to the risks.
“Is Depression a Mental or Physical Illness?”
-Two Australian scientists discuss historical and current research into tentative links between inflammation, immune response and depression.
Depression Widespread Among CEOs of Startups?
-Business Insider explores some of the psychosocial factors that may be contributing to depression in the high tech industry.
Psychiatrists’ Fear of Death Linked to Negative Feelings Towards Certain Patients
-A survey of 120 psychiatrists found that the more psychiatrists fear death, the more negative emotions they have towards people diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.
Addiction is Not a Disease; It is Learned by the Brain and Can Be...
-Salon discusses the ideas of neuroscientist Marc Lewis, a psychologist, former addict, and author of the book, The Biology of Desire: Why Addiction is Not a Disease.
“Can Schizophrenia Really Be Treated by ‘Talk Therapy’ Alone?”
-On the Oxford University Press blog, a professor of psychiatry and psychology weighs in on recent studies using therapy as a response to problematic psychosis symptoms.
Antipsychotic Use Linked to Increased Mortality Risk in Parkinson’s
-A presentation at the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society Congress, that showed a doubling and tripling of the risk of dying within 6 months for people with Parkinson's if they were taking antipsychotics.
“How Colleges Stop Depressed Students From Returning To Campus”
-Two different articles examine cases of US colleges and universities forcing students with depression to go on leave, and never come back.
National Association for Rights Protection and Advocacy Conference, August 20-23
-Bruce Levine, Leah Harris and Chacku Mathai are among the keynote speakers at the upcoming National Association for Rights Protection and Advocacy Conference in Washington, DC.
Transpersonal Therapists Examine Ketamine-For-Depression Questions
-The most recent issue of the The International Journal of Transpersonal Studies examines the promises and risks associated with mainstream psychiatry's growing interest in ketamine for the treatment of depression.
Observing Versus Judging: A Brief Review of Mindfulness
-BPS Research Digest reviews some of the key research into the role of mindfulness meditation in therapeutic contexts, looking at both the apparent positives and possible negatives.
Senators: Focusing on Mental Health Laws Easier than Dealing with Gun Control
-National Journal reports that some Republican and Conservative senators alike recognize a need for gun control legislation, but say it's easier to focus on restrictive mental health regulations instead.
Interview with Jonathan Metzl on Gun Violence and Mental Illness
-Vox interviews Jonathan Metzl about his research into the relationships -- and lack thereof -- between gun violence and mental illness.
Are Eating Disorder Centers a “Rehab Racket”?
-She won a seminal court case requiring insurance companies to pay for stays in residential treatment centers for eating disorders, and now Jeanene Harlick has begun an investigative expose on those same centers' poor practices.
“Those Who Are Jesus”
-The documentary "Those Who Are Jesus" contemplates the borders between revelation and psychosis as people recount their own intense religious experiences.
ADHD Stimulant Sales To Adults Outstrip Sales To Children
Bloomberg reports that, "Adults in the U.S. have overtaken children in taking medication for the condition and accounted for 53 percent of the industrywide...
“Just Because It’s Legal, Doesn’t Mean It’s Safe”
-Interviews with people who murdered their own loved ones while taking SSRI antidepressants are included in the documentary, "Dark Side of a Pill."
Centers For Medicare & Medicaid Keep Pushing To Reduce Antipsychotic Use In Elderly
-"The push for long-term care facilities to abandon the use of off-label use of antipsychotic medications for residents with dementia will intensify over the next two years."
“Does Air Pollution Cause Dementia?”
-Mother Jones examines the growing body of research implicating air pollution in dementia.
Hundreds of Thousands of Mental Health Workers In US Earning Tens of Billions
-A US Congressional Research Service report reviews various sources of information on how many different types of mental health workers there are and how much money they earn.
Psychosurgeons “Burn Away Mental Illness,” According to Wired
-Nick Stockton writes that "psychosurgeons use lasers to burn away mental illness," raising the ire of some commenters.
“Return of Electro-Cures Exposes Psychiatry’s Weakness”
-John Horgan offers brief overviews of the evidence -- "or lack thereof" -- for five types of electronic psychiatric therapies that are experiencing a resurgence in public promotion.
