People Are Hacking Antidepressant Doses to Avoid Withdrawal
From New Scientist: Some organizations are helping people hack their dosing regimens so they can taper off psychiatric drugs without severe withdrawal effects. One Dutch organization...
Helpful and Harmful Therapist Behaviors, According to Clients
From The British Psychological Society: A recent study has broken new ground by asking clients to provide detailed feedback on a second-by-second basis of their experience of...
Psychiatry: We Need a Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Mental Health
My name is Leah Harris and I'm a survivor. I am a survivor of psychiatric abuse and trauma. My parents died largely as a result of terrible psychiatric practice. Psychiatric practice that took them when they were young adults and struggling with experiences they didn’t understand. Experiences that were labeled as schizophrenia. Bipolar disorder. My parents were turned from people into permanent patients. They suffered the indignities of forced treatment. Seclusion and restraint. Forced electroshock. Involuntary outpatient commitment. And a shocking amount of disabling heavy-duty psychiatric drugs. And they died young, from a combination of the toxic effects of overmedication, and broken spirits.
Patient Race Associated with Varied Psychiatric Treatment Experiences
Findings point to association between race and the mental health care experiences of African-American and White veterans.
Chris Cornell’s Wife Blames Anxiety Medicine for Suicide
From Rolling Stone: On Thursday morning, singer Chris Cornell died by suicide. His wife recently issued a statement speculating that his suicide may have been...
“Why So Many Smart People Aren’t Happy”
The Atlantic interviews Raj Raghunathan about his new book, If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Happy? “If you were to go back to the...
Review Reinforces Social Connection as Protective Health Factor
Is a lack of social connection in the US harmful to health? In a review of social connection and health literature, researcher calls for a societal shift in values towards interdependence.
How Psychology Undermines Feminist Activism
In this piece for the Feminist Current, Tove Happonen argues that the therapy model pathologizes women's responses to systemic injustice, aiming to change their emotional reactions...
Your Anxiety is a Political Issue
From Extra Newsfeed: Anxiety is a political issue, resulting directly from marginalization and structural inequality. The solution to anxiety is not self-help culture but activism...
Relaxation Techniques for Depression and Anxiety in the Elderly
-Time magazine looks at the effects of a number of relaxation techniques on depression and anxiety in elderly people.
New Study Finds That Lavender Extract Eases Anxiety
A new study in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience has found that the smell of lavender extract has an anxiolytic effect.
The Therapist who Saved my Life
In this creative nonfiction piece for Literary Hub, one woman shares her story of trauma, depression, and suicidality, and recounts the unconventional approach of the...
Art and Images in Psychiatry
Between 2002 and 2014, JAMA Psychiatry published monthly essays by Dr. James C. Harris exploring the role of visual arts in representing emotional distress, trauma, life...
Researchers Search for Subgroups Where Antidepressants Are More Effective
The researchers theorized that this increased effectiveness was due not to “antidepressant” properties, but rather to the drug’s side effects, which include insomnia, drowsiness, and nausea.
When Anxiety or Depression Masks a Medical Problem
From The New York Times: The mind and body are more connected than we often think — symptoms of anxiety and depression may result from...
More Evidence for the Lasting Psychological Impact of Lead Exposure in Childhood
New research points to numerous harmful effects of high-level lead exposure in childhood on adult mental health and personality characteristics.
Study Finds Recalling Experiences of Violence Impairs Cognitive Functioning
Recalling past exposure to violence worsens short-term memory and cognitive control.
Self-Compassion Course Supports College Students to Support Themselves
New research on a brief self-compassion focused course aimed at the college students.
How Long Should you Stay on Antidepressants?
From The Guardian: Antidepressants may be addictive; many people experience withdrawal symptoms after stopping them. Some psychiatrists suggest that long-term usage may be harmful and...
Benzodiazepine Use Linked to Dementia and Memory Loss
A recent review of the research found that benzodiazepine use may have long-term effects on memory and increase the risk for dementia. The study,...
Researchers Push for Transparency of Mental Health Outcome Data
A new analysis of UK mental health data suggests the way organizations deliver mental health services can alter patient outcomes.
New Thinking Questions Gold Standard Status for CBT
From Forbes: According to an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, cognitive behavioral therapy should no longer be the routine first choice...
The Side Effect of Meditation I Didn’t Expect
In this piece for The Elephant Journal, Flavia Simas shares how meditation not only helped reduce her depression and anxiety but also improved her self-esteem.
"It helps...
A Traumatic Experience Can Reshape Your Microbiome
From Science of Us: A recent study suggests that our guts may harbor evidence of traumatic life experiences many years after the fact, impacting our...
Economic Policy Uncertainty Linked to Higher Suicide Rates in Men
A new study, published in Social Indicators Research, investigates the association between economic policy uncertainty and suicide rates in the US.
