Europe Issues Policy on Access to Clinical Trial Data, Criticisms Continue
The European Medicines Agency has announced in a press release its final policies on the open publication of data from clinical trials. Ed Silverman...
Negative “Nocebo” Response Even More Powerful Than “Placebo” Response?
Doctors who intentionally or unintentionally communicate to patients that they do not believe or understand them could be causing patients' symptoms to worsen.
Common Sleep Aid Dangerous Due to Wide Misuse
Zolpidem, the active ingredient in many common sleep aids, accounts for more emergency hospital visits than any other psychoactive drug.
Antidepressant is Toxic to Fungus
Zoloft isn't just for depression any more; it also kills fungal meningitis. Researchers from Texas A&M find that "The problem for many current antifungal...
Active Engagement More Important Than Type of Treatment
Researchers (including Irving Kirsch) in the U.S., Israel and the U.K. find that a combination of psychotherapy and antidepressants may provide a slight benefit...
“Serious Breakdown” on Cymbalta Withdrawal Warnings
"The last four years have seen a 90% increase in the number of serious adverse drug reports received by the Food and Drug Administration," according to a report by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices." Among them, a "signal" that Cymbalta causes "an array of problems such as crying, suicidal ideation, and anger, and other symptoms including effects on appetite and weight gain."
VA Still Using Benzos for PTSD Despite Warnings
Military.com reports that doctors from the Department of Veterans' Affairs are continuing to prescribe tranquilizers such as Valium and Xanax despite the VA's guidelines...
Antipsychotics and Drug Addiction
Dopamine supersensitivity as a result of sustained antipsychotic treatment can lead to compulsive drug seeking and drug-taking behavior, according to the theory offered by...
Antipsychotic Trial Designs Still Not Reaching Scientific Standards
Too many studies of atypical antipsychotic medications are still not meeting even the minimum scientific standards of the internationally agreed-upon CONSORT guidelines for drug trials.
Self-regulation of Pharma Drug Advertising Failing in UK and Sweden
Pharmaceutical companies are regularly breaching industry codes of conduct in their promotion and advertising of their drugs in Europe.
Lowered ADHD Threshold “More Harm Than Good” (BMJ)
Analysis in the British Medical Journal concludes that the lowered thresholds for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder diagnosis in DSM-5 will mean "that many children...
Europe Announces Policy on Medical Trial Data Access Amidst Criticism
The European Medicines Agency has announced a new policy that it says will open public access to pharmaceutical companies’ medical trial data. The new...
University of Minnesota Suspends Enrollment in Psychiatric Drug Trials
After a second critical report this month about its psychiatry department's ethical practices and conflicts of interest, the University of Minnesota has temporarily suspended enrollment in its psychiatric drug trials.
Antidepressants Linked to Risk of Adult-Onset Diabetes
A meta-analysis of studies of 168,435 adults who were free of diabetes at baseline found that those who used antidepressant medication were 68% more...
Inadequate Blinding Associated With Positive Treatment Findings, Industrial Sponsorship, and Schizophrenia Diagnosis
Despite the integral importance of blinding and blinding assessment to randomized controlled trials (RCTs), they are rarely reported on or documented in trial reports...
NY Times: A.D.H.D. Experts Re-Evaluate Zeal for Drugs
Authors of a 1999 paper that promoted medication over behavioral therapy for A.D.H.D., in fact dismissing behavioral therapy as unnecessary in light of the apparent...
British Government Plans to Illegalize All Unapproved Psychoactive Substances
A Kings College London psychiatrist worries what broad new British restrictions on psychoactive substances could mean for psychedelic research.
Psychiatry is “Committing Professional Suicide”
David Healy "likened psychiatry’s attitude toward its faltering legitimacy to the Vatican’s widely derided response to its child sex abuse scandal by priests —...
Lawyers Review Claims for SSRI Birth Defects
As the number of SSRI birth defect lawsuits climbs to the point that hundreds are being consolidated in a massive class action in the...
White House Blocks Petition Seeking Investigation into Psychiatric Drugs and Violence
A petition on the White House web site which calls for an investigation into the link between psychiatric medication and violence has been blocked...
J&J Will Share Research Data, Yale University to Oversee Access
Yale University has agreed to screen access - with Johnson & Johnson's input - to detailed clinical trial data on the pharmaceutical giant's products. ...
Joint Crisis Planning Results in Clinically Reasonable Choices
Analysis of 221 joint crisis plans for people with diagnoses of psychotic disorders and at least one psychiatric admission in the past two years,...
Non-English Language Journals: Unrecognized Contributors
A review in BMC Psychiatry concludes that "Non-English language general psychiatry journals contribute substantially to the body of research. However, recognition, and in particular...
Mindfulness Therapy May Be More Effective Without Antidepressants
While an estimated 74-percent of patients diagnosed with major depression receive a prescription for an antidepressant, new research reveals that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT)...
Pain Meds Reduce Dementia Symptoms
British researchers find that a 10% increase in pain medication resulted in a dramatic reduction in the use of antipsychotic and other medications. “When...
