Financial Difficulties Facing College Students Lead to Mental Health Issues
A new study published open-access this month in Community Mental Health Journal finds that the increased financial difficulties facing college students lead to greater...
Depression, Anxiety, PTSD: The Mental Impact of Climate Change
From CNN: The growing climate change crisis is leading to various types of trauma, including increased natural disasters, economic loss for farmers, and forced migration, all...
NICE Guideline Update Acknowledges Severe Antidepressant Withdrawal
A new update to the NICE guideline for depression suggests providers discuss long-term, severe antidepressant withdrawal symptoms.
Antidepressant Use Linked to Dementia
A new study finds that elderly individuals using antidepressants are at significantly higher risk for dementia compared to depressed individuals who did not take the drugs.
Use of Electroconvulsive Therapy Without Patient’s Consent Rises
From The Irish News: Although the use of ECT has been steadily decreasing internationally, the use of ECT in Northern Ireland has significantly increased over...
Johann Hari Continues to Speak Out
Johann Hari, British journalist and author of the new book Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression—and the Unexpected Solutions, continues to speak out...
Psychotherapy Effectiveness for Depression Inflated by Publication Bias
While publication bias has been known to overestimate the efficacy of antidepressant treatments, a new study suggests that research on the use of psychotherapy in depression suffers from a similar bias.
Maternal Antidepressant Use Tied to Autism
In a major study, published yesterday in JAMA Pediatrics, the use of SSRI antidepressants during pregnancy was found to increase the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by 87-percent. Previous studies reveal that more than 13-percent of women currently use SSRI antidepressants during pregnancy.
Estimates of Depression Prevalence are Exaggerated, Study Finds
New research demonstrates that common methods for estimating depression prevalence lead to overestimation and exaggerated statistics.
Antidepressants Make Things Worse in the Long Term
Antidepressants may be effective over the short term, but research is showing that treatment resistant depression has risen dramatically in the past 30 years; evidence that the drugs may be inducing chronic depression.
Antidepressant use During Pregnancy may Increase Risk of Birth Defects
Use of antidepressants increased the risk of organ-specific malformations in women with depression
Study 329: The Timelines
In addition to hosting the Panorama programs and The Famous Grouse history of Study 329, Study329.org has a comprehensive timeline on the origins of concerns about the SSRIs and the risk of suicide, initially with Prozac and subsequently with Paxil/Seroxat. The hope is to provide a comprehensive repository for anyone who wants to study SSRIs, RCTs, and Study 329 in particular.
What Stops People From Using Exercise to Treat Depression?
New research examines important factors of adherence when prescribing exercise to treat depression.
Does DSM-5 Matter? Yes; but not for Psychiatrists
What makes the DSM so pernicious is that it is a cultural document whose influence transcends not only psychiatric practice but also the Western civilization from which it originates. Each revision of the DSM rescripts and reimagines how we make sense of our experiences, reinterprets what thoughts, feelings and behaviors are socially sanctioned, and ultimately what it means to be human.
“What’s it Really Like to Take Antidepressants?”
Britain's HealthTalkOnline.org offers videotaped interviews with 36 people in their homes, talking about their decision to take antidepressants and the impact of that decision...
Antidepressant Use Does Not Prevent Suicide, Study Finds
A new study has found that antidepressants are ineffective for reducing suicide attempts. Researchers report that the risk of suicide is particularly high in the first month after starting an antidepressant.
A Healthier Diet Reduces Depressive Symptoms
The “Mediterranean diet” has been associated with reduced risk of depressive symptoms, and a new study demonstrates that dietary changes may be an effective treatment intervention.
An Alternative Perspective on Psychotherapy: It is Not a ‘Cure’
Kev Harding argues against conceptualizations of therapy as a ‘cure’ to an ‘illness’ and instead offers alternative approaches.
Self-Compassion Course Supports College Students to Support Themselves
New research on a brief self-compassion focused course aimed at the college students.
SSRIs Significantly Increase Falls in Dementia, Even at Low Doses
Researchers in the Netherlands followed 248 nursing home residents with dementia for two years, finding that even 25% of the defined daily dose of...
More Research Needed on Climate Change-Related Ecological Grief
Researchers outline the concept of ecologically driven grief due to climate change and recommend future research to better understand the psychological impact of climate change.
U.K. Antidepressant Prescriptions Rise 9% in 2011
Almost 50 million prescriptions for antidepressants were issued in the U.K. in 2011, a rise of 9% over 2010. The increase is attributed, at...
“New Depression Meds Not Effective Generally, But Drug Companies Insist Otherwise: Study”
The International Business Times covers a new study showing “trials for new antidepressant medications may not be applicable to the population at large.” “The finding, published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, shows recent trials are less generalizable than the prior studies, as researchers excluded most depressed patients from drug company-sponsored treatment studies.”
Negative Studies about Antidepressants (Still) Less Likely to Be Published
-Pharmaceutical companies and psychiatric researchers still "aren't telling you the whole truth" about treating anxiety.
Overtreatment, Bereavement, and Antidepressants
A recent paper argues that prescribing antidepressants shortly after the death of a loved one is problematic . . . and a few days later, a Harvard academic publicly suggests prescribing antidepressants FOR bereavement. Wait, what?
