As Opioid Crisis Rages, Some Trade “Tough Love” for Empathy
From Kaiser Health News: "Two torturous days later, Jeff Duncan came home. While he returned to rehab, the Duncans decided their approach wasnât working....
Saturday Night Music: A Bridge Over Diagnosis
-Satirist and scientist James McCormack and his band return with a parody of Simon & Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water.
Antidepressants and Online Misinformation
From Psychology Today: Informed consent isn't possible if known harms are minimized or presented in ways that are faulty and misleading.
âMore Patients in Scotland Given Antidepressantsâ
The BBC reports that the number of people in Scotland taking antidepressants has increased by 5% in the past year with most of the patients being women and those in the poorest parts of the country. âWe are now looking at the flabbergasting statistic of more than one in seven people in Scotland being prescribed antidepressants this year,â Conservative health spokesman Jackson Carlaw said. âWe urgently have to look at better alternatives than simply parking people on medication in the hope things don't get any worse, with no aspiration for complete recovery."
The Onion: Majority of Psychological Experiments Conducted in 1970s Just Crimes
From The Onion: "Much of the time these researchers didnât even bother to test a hypothesis or collect data, but instead just tortured student volunteers for amusement."
U.S. Supreme Court Rejects J&J Appeal Over Risperdal Drug
From Reuters: The Court rejected a bid to overturn a $70 million jury verdict against the company for its failure to warn of the risk of breast enlargement in children.
Canadian Institute of Health Identifies Provinces Overprescribing Antipsychotics
âA new study is giving insight into how long-term care patients in the province are progressing â or, in some cases, worsening â over time. It found those living in central Newfoundland are more likely to be given antipsychotic drugs they don't need.â
BBC Sitcom Pilot: “Disordered: The Health Assessment”
From BBC Sounds: For a limited time: Listen to a new sitcom pilot by George Mason about an optimistic but struggling single dad dealing with long-term mental health issues.
A Tribute to Peter Campbell, 1949-2022
Peter Campbell, one of the pioneers of the mental health user and survivor movement in the UK, is remembered in a blog post by the activist collective Recovery in the Bin.
Routine Anxiety Screenings Will Cause Overdiagnosis, Overprescription, Psychologist Warns
From Fox News: "You canât just carve the world into 'disorders' and think youâre doing an adequate job of determining someoneâs mental health needs," said UCSF professor Dr. Jonathan Shedler.
âFDA Issues New Draft Guidelines For âAppearanceâ of Conflicts of Interestâ
For STAT news, Pharmalot correspondent Ed Silverman reports on a new guideline being drafted by the FDA that adds new rules that could restrict...
âWhy are Doctors Plagued by Depression and Suicide?â
For STAT news, Judith Graham reports on the escalating crisis of depression, burnout, and suicide among physicians. âMale doctors are 1.4 times more likely to kill...
Rethinking Anxiety
In this interview with Jackie Dent, President of Clear Spot Club, social work lecturer Emma Tseris explains how labelling someone with an anxiety disorder fails...
The Association for Psychological Pseudoscience Presents…
In this blog for Statistical Modeling, Causal Interference, and Social Science, Andrew Gelman critiques the Association of Psychological Science's upcoming convention.
Forced Psychiatry – A Legal Perspective
In this two-part video series for AdvancingMentalHealth.org, attorney Gary Brown questions the constitutionality of psychiatric confinement and discusses forced treatment from a legal perspective.
Part I âÂ
Part II âÂ
“From the Streets to the Rx Pad: Do Party Drugs Have a Place in...
Psychiatric Times reflects on the rise of ketamine as an antidepressant, MDMA (ecstasy) for the treatment of PTSD, and cannabis' use for neuropathic pain...
The Enduring Myth of the Mad Genius
From Wellcome Collection: It has long been assumed that great writers and artists must be touched by madness. However, no link between artistic talent and...
To Fight Burnout, Organize
From The New England Journal of Medicine:Â "The social determinants of health â and physiciansâ sense of powerlessness in the face of them â seem...
What Is Critical Psychology? New Site for Scholar-Activists
From Robert Beshara: "I am pleased to announce that on behalf of the Critical Praxis Collective, I have put together a website which will...
Stewart Dolinâs Widow Loses $3 Million Verdict for Paxil Suicide on Appeal
From The American Lawyer: "A federal appeals court has thrown out a $3 million verdict awarded last year to the widow of a former Reed...
“How Our Compulsion for Diagnosis May Be Harming Children”
A team of American pediatric physicians has published an article in the journal Pediatrics examining the many ways in which medical overdiagnosis may be...
U.S. Marine and Navy Suicides at a 10-Year High
From CNN: Many of the cases are young Marines who have not deployed overseas or been in combat -- a situation observed in other branches of the military as well.
Depression: “Can Mood Science Save Us?”
The November/December issue of the Psychotherapy Networker is called "Depression Unmasked: Exposing a Hidden Epidemic." It includes articles such as, "Can Mood Science Save...
“Childhood Adversity and Psychosis: Generalised or Specific Effects?”
Eleanor Longden and John Reed look at the "relationships between childhood adversity and the presence of characteristic symptoms of schizophrenia." Â They conclude: "The current...
The Quality of Monopoly Capitalist Society: Mental Health
From Monthly Review: What Baran and Sweezy saw in the 1960s as the trend toward the psychological dissolution of working-class families and individuals has today become nothing less than a ubiquitous cancer responsible for the decline of whole communities.