Treatment Guidelines Downplay Antidepressant Dependence
A review of treatment guidelines published in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics found that guidelines “shy away from stating clearly that SSRIs/SNRIs, like BDZs, are often (though...
“Expert Reaction to Antidepressant Use and Suicidality”
Last week a study in BMJ linked antidepressants to the risk of suicide and aggressive behaviors. The Science Media Centre has compiled responses to...
Off-Label Prescribing Increases Risk of Adverse Effects
The first systematic investigation of the adverse effects associated with prescribing drugs “off-label” found that the common practice of using drugs for conditions for which they are not approved increases the risk of adverse effects.
Nardo on RAISE study: “Spin is for Politicians”
Dr. Mickey Nardo adds to the ongoing discussion about the RAISE study results. He writes: “If there is ‘spin’ in the reporting of this study, we need to know about it. I personally think that it’s more important for RAISE to be reported completely and honestly than whether it comes out like they [or I] want it to come out. We don’t need some sanitized version of RAISE to tell us we need to turn our attention to a full bodied approach to the treatment of First Episode psychotic patients. We all already know that. What we do need is to have our confidence restored in our research community – that they will honestly and clearly report their findings whether they are clean as a whistle or an unholy mess.”
“When Will Mental Illness Finally Yield to Science?”
Newsweek writer Alexander Nazaryan overviews the recent "kick in the rear" provided to brain science by hundreds of millions of dollars in donations, and...
Samaritans’ Online Suicide Surveillance App an Ethical Minefield
In Gigaom, privacy and security journalist David Meyer discusses the release of a new app from the UK Samaritans called "Radar." The app monitors...
“Document Claims Drug Makers Deceived a Top Medical Journal”
The New York Times reports that two major pharmaceutical companies may have mislead the editors of a prestigious medical journal in an effort to...
The Truth is Often Ugly…
Beyond Meds' Monica Cassani is amused and befuddled by critics who slam psychiatry then advise having "a doctor to help them withdraw from drugs…as...
“Suicide, Mental Illness Risks Increase During Recessions”
The latest economic recession led to a spike in diagnoses for mental illnesses, suicide attempts, and suicide, according to report out of the University...
How Many Billions a Year Will the DSM-5 Cost?
An article by Allen Frances in Bloomberg examines the economic impact of the DSM's increasing pathologization of human behavior.
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Beyond Meds: “Childhood Abuse is ‘Unpalatable’ and so the Epidemic of Abuse Goes Unchallenged”
Beyond Meds, continuing its legacy of bringing attention to the causes and cures of what is often called "mental illness", presents an article, video,...
Dubious Amyloid Theories of Alzheimer’s and Drug Treatments Keep Getting Hyped
-Pharmaceutical policy researcher Alan Cassels critically reviews a spate of effusive news coverage about a tiny, experimental study of a drug treatment for Alzheimer's.
Psychology’s ‘Reproducibility Project’ Efforts Reporting In
-Nature News reports on the first wave of findings in the "crowd-sourced" effort to reproduce 100 of the most important studies in psychology.
“The Guardian’s Bad Hair Day”
“No, cortisol in hair can’t ‘reveal future mental health risk’ in children.” HealthNewsReview gives a low rating to a recent story in the Guardian that reported that cortisol levels in children’s hair might be a useful mental health screening tool.
“You May Be On Prozac But Not Know It”
"Within the last decade," reports The Alternative Daily, "traces of pharmaceuticals have been reported in the water cycle, including surface waters, wastewater, groundwater and to...
“Why it’s Truly Bonkers to Believe in Shrinks”
The U.K.'s Daily Mail reviews "Cracked: Why Psychiatry is Doing More Harm Than Good" by James Davies.
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“Serotonin Deficiency May Not Cause Depression After All”
Salon magazine reports on an article in October's Translational Psychiatry that finds "rather than a shortage of serotonin, a lack of synaptogenesis (the growth...
Half of Us are Mentally Ill — Or are These Numbers Finally Going Too...
The Australian Bureau of Statistics states that some 45 per cent of Australians aged 16 to 85 have been mentally ill at some point...
“There Was a Time – it Was a Long Time ago, Maybe 40 Years...
For consistently trenchant analysis of the DSM controversy, visit 1 Boring Old Man. Among many posts this weekend, he eulogizes his early career as...
“Coming Out of the Fog”
"For the past eight years, Vicki Dyer has been the program director of the dementia ward at Lakewood, a continuing care centre in Waterville, Me.,...
“Psychotic Symptoms in Children on Stimulants. What are the Implications for the Clinician?”
“A little background digging revealed to me that this study is the tip of a new iceberg relative to ADHD diagnosis, stimulant treatment, and...
“Plan for Your Next Breakdown”
Start shopping for the best hospitals, doctors and therapies while you're feeling good, suggests Lisa Keith on her PsychCentral blog Bipolar Lifehacks, because when...
“Drug Trials Not Reported in Line with Ethical and Legal Demands”
“Decisions about the effectiveness of drugs are being made with incomplete information because results of almost three-quarters of clinical trials are still not published...
“Don’t Coerce the Mentally Ill into Treatment”
Republican Tim Murphy should be lauded for bringing attention to important issues through his proposed legislation, but he "has it wrong when it comes...
“Are Benzodiazepines and Antidepressants Making Us Sicker?”
Naturopathic doctor Lauren Deville reviews "Anatomy of an Epidemic" and the evidence that the "chemical imbalance" theorized to underlie mental illness is not only...
