Petition Calls on Pharma Companies to Offer Tapering Kits for Depression and Anxiety Drugs
A change.org petition out of the United Kingdom is addressing the extreme difficulty faced by people who attempt to taper off of antidepressants and...
āPatients Unwilling to Consent to ECTā
More than one-in-10Ā forms authorising ECT received by the Mental Health Commission (MHC) between 2013 and 2015 reported that the patient was unwilling to consent...
Hearing Veteran Narratives is Key to Suicide Prevention
Current suicide assessment practices of the VA are reductive and do not allow for the individualās narrative to be heard.
āIn Surprise Decision, FDA Blocks Crucial Cognitive Claim for Takeda’s Brintellixā
Takeda and Lundbeck had prepared to advertise that their latest antidepressant Brintellix (Vortioxetine) could give patients a cognitive boost and help them think and...
Preventing Long-term Benzodiazepine Use
Researchers Identify risk factors for long-term benzodiazepine use to prevent harmful effects.
People Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder at Increased Risk for Parkinson’s
Increased Parkinson's risk could be related to lithium, antipsychotic, and antiepileptic drug use.
After the Black-Box: Majority of Children Starting SSRIs Still Receiving Too High of Dose
In 2004, the FDA added a black-box warning to SSRI antidepressants on the increased risk of suicide among children taking these drugs. A new study suggests that this warning has increased the proportion of children who begin an antidepressant on a low dose, but the majority are still receiving higher than recommended doses.
Antidepressants Tied To Increased Risk of Homicide “Only Modestly”; Benzodiazepines More So
Taking antidepressant or benzodiazepine medications increases the risks that a person will commit a homicide, according to a study from Finland published in a World Psychiatry letter.
Clinical Trials Underreport Harms of Antidepressant Medications
A group of researchers recently found serious bias in the reporting of harm due to adverse events in antidepressant medication clinical trials. They report...
Nonclinical Factors are Associated with Long-Term Benzodiazepine Use in Older Adults
White race and size of initial prescription, along with poor sleep quality, are associated with long-term benzodiazepine use in older adults.
Antidepressants Not Superior to Psychotherapy for Severe Depression
On Wednesday, JAMA Psychiatry released a meta-analysis comparing the results of cognitive-behavioral therapy and antidepressant medication in severely depressed populations. Currently, many practice guidelines suggest that antidepressants be used over psychotherapy for major depressive disorder. The analysis, however, found that āpatients with more severe depression were no more likely to require medications to improve than patients with less severe depression.ā
Psychotropic Medications Serve as Powerful Tools for U.S. Military, Imperialism
Ethnographic research sheds light on extensive psychopharmaceutical use by soldiers in post 9/11 U.S. wars.
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%.
FDA Asks Pfizer for Update to Zoloft Label, Warns of Birth Defect Risks
Bloomberg reports that the FDA asked Pfizer in August āto modify safety warnings for its antidepressant Zoloft (sertraline) and acknowledge for the first time that some studies linked the mood-altering medication to heart defects in newborns.ā
Infants Exposed to Psychotropic Drugs During Pregnancy At Risk
New research published in the July issue of The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry found that the use of mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, antidepressants, and hypnotics during pregnancy is associated with increased health risks to the infant.
Large Increase in Poison Control Calls for Children Taking ADHD Drugs
New data shows that calls to US poison control centers have increased significantly for children taking stimulant ADHD drugs.
āThe Hidden Harms of Antidepressantsā
In a new article for Scientific American, Diana Kwon reports on how the true risks for suicide and aggression in children and teens taking...
Pervasive Industry Influence in Healthcare Sector Harms Patients
Experts across the globe point to the harms of drug companiesā influence on research, practice, and education in healthcare noting that it compromises patient care.
Policies to Reduce Antipsychotic use Among Elderly are Failing
Research reveals that rates of antipsychotic prescribing to the elderly in the UK have not dropped despite national recommendations.
A Healthier Diet Reduces Depressive Symptoms
The āMediterranean dietā has been associated with reduced risk of depressive symptoms, and a new study demonstrates that dietary changes may be an effective treatment intervention.
āReport From APPG for Prescribed Drug Dependenceā
James Davies, of the Council for Evidence-Based Psychiatry, issues his report from last weekās meeting in the UK Parliament concerning the connection between increased...
Prescription Stimulant Use is Associated with Earlier Onset of Psychosis
Individuals diagnosed with psychotic disorders have an earlier onset of psychosis if they have previously been exposed to prescription stimulants, according to new research currently in press in the Journal of Psychiatric Research.
Psychiatrists Warn Policymakers Benzodiazepine Overuse Could Lead to Next Epidemic
Although opioid addiction and overuse have garnered significant national attention, similar trends in benzodiazepine overprescription and overuse continue to go unnoticed.
Study Shows Success With Reduced Antipsychotic Use
People who reduced antipsychotic use by tapering were doing just as well after five years as those who continued using the drugs.
Study Links SSRIs to Violent Crime in Youth
Individuals between the ages of 15 and 24 are more likely to commit a violent crime if they are taking an SSRI antidepressant than if they are not, according to new research out of Sweden. The study published in PLoS Medicine on Tuesday, suggests "warnings about the increased risk of violent behavior among young people taking SSRIs might be needed.ā
