“Martyrs to Science? When Research Participants Die”
Neuroskeptic covers a short article by Susan Lederer that appeared in the American Medical Association Journal of Ethics discussing what happens when research participants die.
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.
“More Patients in Scotland Given Antidepressants”
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. “We are now looking at the flabbergasting statistic of more than one in seven people in Scotland being prescribed antidepressants this year,” Conservative health spokesman Jackson Carlaw said. “We 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."
“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...
“Why Ted Cruz’s Plan to Overhaul the FDA Would Jeopardize Public Health”
"To be sure, the FDA review process is not perfect. What is? But the agency is still considered the gold standard by which other...
Interest in Marijuana for Treating Psychiatric Problems is Risky
-Various sources discuss how marijuana could be more risky to the brain than helpful, and suggest that we should be careful about expanding its use.
“Is Science Really Better than Journalism at Self-correction?”
-A co-founder of Retraction Watch suggests editors of scientific and medical journals could learn some things from Rolling Stone about correcting errors.
“Drugged Up: Psychiatry is over-reliant on chemical cures. It’s Time to Look at the...
Psychiatrist Bob Johnson writes in IAI News, "If ever there were a case for an outside body to let the light in, then it’s...
“California Doctor Convicted of Murder in Overdose Deaths”
“A Los Angeles-area doctor was convicted of murder in a landmark case for killing three patients who overdosed on what a prosecutor called 'crazy,...
“The Medicalization of Mood: Worse Than Nothing, or Just Ineffective?”
In his blog Psychology Salon, psychologist Randy Paterson explores what the balance of evidence is showing us after 60 years of increasing medical treatments...
Certify All Election Candidates’ Mental Health?
-A second prominent Russian politician is proposing that all candidates for elections should have to produce a psychiatrist's certification of their mental health.
The Dangers of Getting “Diagnosed”
-"When we treat diagnosis as simply a medical issue, we mask the tremendous social power involved in putting a name to human suffering."
Is “Low Testosterone” Actually a “Disease”?
-Various experts weigh in on whether the boom in diagnosing psychological and physical problems as being caused by "low testosterone" is "disease-mongering."
“Emerging Ideas in Brain Science”
In Metapsychology Online Reviews, Roy Sugarman discusses the latest Cerebrum Anthology, which examines "Emerging Ideas in Brain Science." The book, Sugarman writes, covers topics...
Affordable Care Act Will Expand Mental Health Services Into More Areas of People’s Lives
Since many more Americans now have mental health coverage as a result of the US Affordable Care Act, mental health services will soon begin...
“Mother Wishes She Had Restricted Flow of Prescription Drugs to her Son”
"Looking back, Pam Herrera wishes she had asked more questions and been more forceful with her son's therapists," says the Denver Post. "The list...
Mental Health Rights, Pharma, and the Election
Jim Gottstein writes in Pharmalot about developments in the mental health rights field, how pharma has contributed (positively or negatively), and how the upcoming...
Government Accountability Office Criticizes Federal Mental Health System
-The US Government Accountability Office says it is "in the dark" about the effectiveness of federal mental health programs.
“Concern over anti-psychotic drug given to soldiers”
ABC News discovers that the military is resorting to antipsychotics to quiet traumatized soldiers, rather than treating the trauma.
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“NIH-Funded Trials Dip, Industry Trials on the Rise”
"Every year since 2006 in the U.S., the amount of new medical research in humans that’s funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has gone down, while the number of industry-funded trials has gone up, a new study shows.”
How Do Comprehensive Lifestyle Changes Influence Dementia?
In his Scientific American blog, Gary Stix reviews the latest investigations into the impacts of comprehensive lifestyle change approaches to preventing dementia. "Results of...
Court Gives Approval of Settlement Providing Better Mental Health Care for Iowa Children
from KCRG.org: On Friday, a federal court gave its approval of a settlement agreement in a lawsuit against the Iowa Department of Health and...
University and Petitioners Debate Ethics of Animal Psychiatric Experiment
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is engaged in a public debate with a medical doctor who posted a petition on Change.org that has gathered nearly...
Weighing in on Facebook’s New Suicide Prevention Strategy
-Facebook has made it easier for users to report posts from people who seem to be in psychological distress, but not everyone likes the plan.
“In the Gun Debate, Mental Illness Doesn’t Predict Dangerousness”
Massachusetts State Representative Paul Heroux' Huffington Post blog concludes that "We need to realize that high-profile events are high-profile because they are unlikely. And trying to...
