Researchers Challenge Popular Beliefs About Adolescent Risk Taking
Adolescent risk taking is explored contextually, beyond models of brain imbalances and adverse consequences.
The Winding Road and the Importance of Going Sideways
The winding path is very often the only path that a human being can follow. It has to become an acceptable path. We have to stop pushing young kids because WE want them to be somewhere without regard to what they are ready for.
12 Ways to Help Kids Cope With School Anxiety
In this piece for USA Today, Candy Grande offers 12 non-drug approaches for helping kids cope with school-related anxiety, such as having a discussion about...
Does Marijuana Make for Depressed Brains?
From U.S. News & World Report: While some medical marijuana advocates claim that certain strands of weed may help with depression, research on the effects of...
Married Individuals with Schizophrenia Show Better Outcomes, Study Finds
14-year study of a rural sample in China shows those who were married had higher rates of remission from schizophrenia.
Patients With Schizophrenia Show Better Work Functioning Off Antipsychotics
20-year follow-up study finds that after four years, patients not prescribed antipsychotics have significantly better work functioning.
“Virtual Autism” May Explain Explosive Rise in ASD Diagnoses
New clinical case studies have found that many young children who spend too much screen time—on TV’s, video games, tablets and computers—have symptoms labeled as “autism.” When parents take away the screens for a few months the child’s symptoms disappear.
Researchers Find Inadequate Reporting of the Dangers of Ketamine Treatment for Depression
Researchers report that dangerous side effects are not being adequately reported in the trials of ketamine for depression.
New Collaborative and Feedback-Informed Family Therapy Approach
Attempts to bridge the gap between research and practice result in a family therapy approach which employs clients as co-researchers.
Prenatal Exposure to Psychotropic Medication Linked to Long Term Cognitive Impairment
School aged children exposed prenatally to psychotropic medication show poorer outcomes in cognitive ability.
Targets are Damaging Students’ Mental Health
In this piece for The Guardian, a schoolteacher explains how unrealistic expectations of students' academic performance as well as a strong emphasis on test scores have harmed students'...
Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?
From The Atlantic: The pattern of constant smartphone and social media use among post-Millennials may be leading to a public mental health crisis. Research shows that...
Study Suggests Mania More Common in Psychosis When Antidepressants Used
A prospective cohort study of those labeled high risk for psychosis finds a higher prevalence of antidepressant use among those who develop manic symptoms.
What If We Are All Wrong About Mental Illness?
From Thoughtful Living: The biomedical model of psychiatry, along with the DSM, is deeply flawed and can often be misleading. To improve, mental health services...
Part II: Michelle Starts Prozac and Sees the Devil
By 2011, anyone who read the scientific literature would have known that children cannot tolerate SSRIs and should not be given them. Neither Conrad nor Michelle seemed to have been warned about the common adverse effects (such as nightmares and compulsive suicidality) of the SSRI antidepressants they were on.
Childhood Bipolar Disorder More Rare Than Previously Claimed, Study Finds
Re-examination of meta-analytic claims finds the prevalence of pediatric bipolar disorder is close to zero.
In Chronic Patients, Antipsychotics Have Limited Efficacy in Reducing Symptoms
A large review and meta-analysis of 167 studies across 60 years dissects placebo-controlled randomized controlled trials of antipsychotic drugs.
Michelle Carter: Did She Text Her Boyfriend to Death?
Today a Massachusetts judge sentenced Michelle Carter for the crime of manslaughter in the suicide death of her boyfriend. I was the only psychiatric and medication expert on either side in this trial, and I testified on behalf of Michelle. Other than perhaps her lawyers, I probably know more about the true story than anyone else.
Arts Participation May Improve Mental Well-Being and Social Inclusion
Introductory arts courses at Open Arts Essex show improvements in mental well-being and social inclusion for individuals with mental health challenges.
How Complex Trauma Changes a Person
From GoodTherapy.org: Although not currently listed in the DSM, the diagnosis of complex post-traumatic stress (C-PTSD) has gained widespread acceptance in the mental health community. The...
New Study Asks Doctors About Barriers to Deprescribing
Researchers interviewed doctors about the barriers that prevent them from being able to decrease excess medications.
How Neglect and Abuse Change Children’s Brains
From the Center for Health Journalism: Different types of childhood adversity shape the developing brain in distinct ways and need to be addressed accordingly. While...
Findings Linking Depression to Abnormal Brain Activity Questioned
Meta-analyses fail to replicate findings linking abnormal brain activity to depression.
Half of First-Episode Patients Respond to Antipsychotics
No placebo controlled trials provide evidence of antipsychotics in first-episode psychosis.
Brief Trauma-Focused Psychotherapies Effective for Children with PTSD
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Writing Therapy both reduce PTSD symptoms in children who experienced a single traumatic event.
