Study Identifies Cause of Weight Gain From Antipsychotic Drugs
From UPI: A team of researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center found that the serotonin 2c receptor is responsible for weight gain...
Does My Algorithm Have a Mental Health Problem?
From Big Think: As our algorithms are increasingly being made in our own image, they are at heightened risk of experiencing "mental health problems."
"Take the...
“Making Theater Autism-Friendly”
-The Atlantic reports on the growth of "autism-friendly" movie theaters, sports arenas and now live theaters.
âPsychiatric DrugâNot AntibioticâMesses with Gut Microbes, Spurs Obesityâ
In a series of experiments in mice, researchers found that the drug risperidone alters gut microbes, which in turn profoundly influence metabolism, weight, and overall health.
Histories of Violence: Neurodiversity and the Policing of the Norm
In this interview for the Los Angeles Review of Books, cultural theorist and philosopher Erin Manning discusses neurodiversity, a movement that seeks to depathologize traits, experiences, and...
Abilify: The Drug That Could Gamble Your Life Away
On this episode of America's Lawyer, Mike Papantonio discusses the numerous lawsuits pending involving the anti-psychotic drug Abilify, which has caused plaintiffs to develop serious...
Top Ten Things You May Not Know About the ICD-10
In this piece for Psychology Today, Dr. Jonathan D. Raskin lists 10 facts about the current version of the International Classification of Diseases, which is...
$1.5M Award in Child Tardive Dyskinesia Malpractice Lawsuit
A Chicago jury awarded $1.5 million to an autistic child who developed irreversible and disabling tardive dyskinesia and tardive akathisia while treated with Risperdal,...
Smash the Blue Lights: Autism Speaks is a âDanger to Self and Othersâ
There are few around Mad in America territory who would argue against the dangers of the National Alliance for Mental Illness. But as a movement, we often fail to recognize the dangers of their much younger sibling named âAutism Speaksâ.
When Disability is Misdiagnosed as Bad Behavior
From Pacific Standard: People with hidden or invisible disabilities are often subjected to violence and verbal abuse, as well as denied accommodations and asked to...
More Research Links Autism to Pesticides
Autism and rates of other neurogically-related problems are higher in areas where large amounts of chemical pesticides are used, according to University of California...
âThe Rise and Fall of the Blockbuster Antipsychotic Seroquelâ
Martha Rosenberg highlights how the popular antipsychotic Seroquel is a perfect example of how direct-to-consumer advertising made billion dollar blockbuster drugs possible before side-effects...
D Is For Diagnosis
In this episode of BBC Radio's Four Thought, child and adolescent psychiatrist Ann York discusses the benefits and potential pitfalls of psychiatric diagnoses and shares her...
Publication Bias in Literature on Antidepressants for Autism
Researchers at the University of Michigan reviewed published and unpublished trials of serotonin receptor inhibitors (SRI) for the treatment of autism spectrum disorders (ASD)....
The Empathy Machine
From Aeon: We typically think of empathy as an emotions-based state that involves feeling another's distress or joy. However, cognitive, rationalist empathy involving reasoned perspective-taking may...
U.N. Calls for Investigation of Shocks at U.S. School for Autism
The U.N. special rapporteur on torture has opened discussions with the U.S. mission in Geneva as a first step toward investigating the Judge Rotenberg...
Treated Infections in Childhood Linked with Later Mental Health Service Use
Severe infections requiring hospitalizations increased the risk of hospital contacts due to mental disorders by 84% and the risk of psychotropic medication use by 42%.
âSesame Streetâ Welcomes First Character with Autism
Last Wednesday, Sesame Street added a new character, Julia, to its roster of characters. In an online story, Julia, who has autism, meets Elmo and Abby and Elmo explains why Julia might sometimes do things a little bit differently. The story was written by Leslie Kimmerman, who has a child with autism, and the entire series will be developed in collaboration with parents, advocates, and people with autism.
Environmental Neurotoxins and Autism
-A discussion of some of the links that have been found between neurotoxins polluting the environment and higher risks of developing autistic symptoms.
ASAN Condemns White House Autism Proclamation
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network has voiced opposition to the President's autism proclamation and participation in Autism Speaks' "Light it Up Blue" Campaign. The...
âLife, Animated: A Remarkable Story of How a Family Reached Their Autistic Son Through...
A new documentary âLife, Animated,â which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, tells the story of a man with autism who learned to interact...
The Scientism of Autism
Autism is now simply assumed to represent a real, tangible, identifiable âthing.â But no one is asking the obvious question: On what evidential basis can you conclude that autism represents a natural category that can be differentiated from other natural categories? According to the real science, autism should be seen as a fact of culture, not a fact of nature.
Our World: My Child, ECT and Me
A new episode of BBC's Our World investigates the increased usage of electroconvulsive therapy on children in America.
âAntipsychotic Use in Youth Without Psychosis: A Double-edged Swordâ
This monthâs issue of JAMA Psychiatry ran an editorial commenting on recent research revealing that the majority of youth prescribed antipsychotics have not been diagnosed with a mental disorder.
Child Poverty Linked to Early Neurological Impairment
A new NIH-funded study suggests that children from low-income environments are more likely to have neurological impairments. The researchers claim that these neurodevelopmental issues are âdistinct from the risk of cognitive and emotional delays known to accompany early-life poverty.â
