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...
New Study Concludes that Antidepressants are “Largely Ineffective and Potentially Harmfulâ
A new study published in Frontiers in Psychiatry concludes that âantidepressants are largely ineffective and potentially harmful.â
Do Antidepressants Work? A People’s Review of the Evidence
After a meta-analysis of RCTs of antidepressants was published in Lancet, psychiatry stated that it proved that "antidepressants" work. However, effectiveness studies of real-world patients reveal the opposite: the medications increase the likelihood that patients will become chronically depressed, and disabled by the disorder.
Royal College of Psychiatrists Accused of Misleading Claims
From The Herald: A group of mental health experts and patients have submitted a formal letter of complaint accusing the Royal College of Psychiatrists of...
Medicine Can Soothe a Troubled Mind, but Not Without Costs
From The New York Times: In a new book, Blue Dreams, psychologist and patient Lauren Slater critiques the drug-based model of psychiatric care, debunking the chemical...
“Largely Ineffective and Potentially Harmful”
In this interview for SciLogs, Dr. Michael P. Hengartner critiques the current research on antidepressant drugs and the state of biological psychiatry.
"One has to realize...
Eating Vegetables, Fruit & Whole Grains May Combat Depression
From The Telegraph: A recent study found that participants who avoided red meat, saturated fats and sugar, and stuck to healthy vegetables, fruit and whole grains were...
More Critiques of the Lancet Antidepressant Study
Researchers and advocates have continued to critique The Lancet's recent study claiming to prove definitively that antidepressants are more effective than placebo. Below are a...
The Epidemic of Sadness Cannot Be Solved With Antidepressants
From the International Business Times: While people are living longer, healthier lives in more affluent circumstances than ever before, the rate of depression is skyrocketing. Potential...
Depression Test May be Inaccurate for Black Adolescents, Study Finds
Researchers find that psychometric properties in the CES-D, developed for White adults, may not adequately measure the lived experience for Black adolescents.
The Demographics of Childhood Trauma
From Pacific Standard: A new study records the prevalence of several different Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) as well as the demographic groups who are most likely to experience childhood trauma.
"The most prevalent...
What Is “Normal” Anyway?
From Scientific American: Although "normal" technically means average or typical, both researchers and the general public often view normality as a standard we should all...
Anti-depressants: “I’ve Lost My Identity and Who I Am”
From BBC: Mad in America Radio Host and Program Director James Moore speaks about the impact that antidepressant withdrawal has had on his life.
"The 46-year-old has...
The Town That’s Found a Potent Cure for Illness â Community
From The Guardian: In 2013, general practitioner Helen Kingston launched the Compassionate Frome Project, which provides the town's patients with social services and community support...
Johann Hari Continues to Speak Out
Johann Hari, British journalist and author of the new book Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depressionâand the Unexpected Solutions, continues to speak out...
Not Your Great-Grandfather’s Psychoanalysis
From the Monitor on Psychology: One of the greatest misconceptions about psychoanalytic and psychodynamic therapy is that it has remained unchanged since Freud introduced it. In...
Difficult Decisions About Antidepressants
In this piece for Research with Plymouth University, Richard Byng discusses the difficulty that both doctors and patients experience in discerning the effectiveness of antidepressants in...
Challenging the New Hype About Antidepressants
The extraordinary media hype over the latest meta-analysis of antidepressants puts the discussion of these drugs back years. Despite the fact that rates of prescribing have doubled over the last decade, the authors of the analysis are calling for yet more prescribing. But this latest meta-analysis simply repeats the errors of previous analyses.
Critiques of a New Research Study on Antidepressants
A new meta-analysis claiming to prove once and for all that antidepressants are an effective treatment for moderate to severe depression was published just a few days...
A Case Against Antidepressants
From Newsroom: University of Auckland researchers make a case against the chemical imbalance theory of mental illness, arguing that biological explanations and treatments for emotional...
Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Interventions Target Depressive Symptoms
A new study finds self-coldness predicts depressive symptoms and supports self-compassion as a buffer.
Nietzsche on Depression and the Rehabilitation of Hope
In this piece for Brain Pickings, Maria Popova discusses Friedrich Nietzsche's writings and perspectives on the struggle of depression and the possibility of hope.
"Nietzsche writes...
Study Confirms Higher Suicide Risk for Sexual Minority Adolescents
Researchers report that sexual minority adolescents have considered, planned, and attempted suicide substantially more than their heterosexual peers.
The Art of Madness
In this piece for The Paris Review, Cody Delistraty details the French painter Jean Dubuffet's efforts to collect artwork made by people deemed mentally ill...
Researchers Challenge Industry-Friendly Depression Guideline
Review of a new mixed depression guideline reveals financial bias of guideline developers and lack of evidence supporting recommendations for prescribing of antipsychotics.
