Negative Symptoms Are Key to Recovery From Psychosis

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Researchers from Aarhus University in Denmark find from a 10-year follow-up of participants in a randomized controlled study of brief antipsychotic medication (the OPUS...

“Give the Data to the People”

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Harlan Krumholz, director of Yale University's Open Data Access Project (YODA), writes in the New York Times about YODA's agreement to oversee release of Johnson...

Benzos Increase Risk of Fractures

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A meta-analysis of all relevant studies on MEDLINE, EMBASE, OVID and ScienceDirect published through January 2013 finds that the use of benzodiazepines, especially short-acting,...

The “BioPsychoSocialSpiritual” Model of Mental Health

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Andrew Weil writes about the history of the biomedical model, the rise of neurotransmitter-based theories of psychology, the proliferation of both mental health professionals...

One-third of Youth Treated for Bipolar Developed Schizophrenia Symptoms

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Over one-third of young people who were treated for bipolar disorder developed schizophrenia within eight years, according to a study in Schizophrenia Research. In...

California Foster Care Physicians Taking Double the Average in Pharma Money

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Drug companies spent over $14 million from 2010 to 2013 to "woo" California doctors who specialize in treating foster children, according to part three...

SSRI Antidepressants Appear to Raise Risk of Serious Respiratory Disease in Newborns

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A new study has reinforced earlier warnings that taking SSRI antidepressants late in pregnancy appears to put mothers at a slightly increased risk of having newborns with persistent pulmonary hypertension.

Color of Light Affects Mood

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In research that may have implications for depression in humans, researchers at Ohio State find that hamsters exposed to blue and white light rather...

Psychotropics Drive Record 4.02 Billion U.S. Prescriptions in 2011

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With drugs for ADHD increasing 17%, and an "unprecedented increase in patients taking antidepressants and antipsychotics," overall prescription drug sales in the United States...

Non-Distressed Psychosis-Like Experiences Not Linked to Serious Mental Illness

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Research from the University of Maryland finds that "Although 'psychosis-like experiences' (PLEs) may reflect elevated risk for onset of serious mental illness," further examination...

BMJ Editorial Calls for Regulations to Address Medical Fraud in UK

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Richard Smith, the chair of the board of trustees at BMJ, penned an editorial yesterday bringing increased scrutiny to research misconduct and medical fraud in the UK. Smith identifies denial about the seriousness of the problem and the reluctance of universities to submit themselves to reviews as the two major reasons that Britain has failed to address these issues.

Psychiatrists Overestimate Antidepressants, Underestimate Placebo

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Recent meta-analyses of antidepressant clinical trials have revealed that up to 82% of the effects associated with the drugs may be attributed to placebo and non-medication factors. A new study examined the attitudes of psychiatrists toward these non-pharmacologic factors and found a large discrepancy between their beliefs and the empirical evidence.

Pennsylvania Latest State To Try To Curb Psychotropic Prescribing To Foster Children

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Foster children in Pennsylvania are being given psychotropic drugs by physicians at rates that are "disturbing" and "unacceptable," according to the state's Department of Human Services.

European Parliament Votes For Clinical Trial Transparency

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The European Parliament voted on Wednesday to ensure open reporting of European clinical trials, even when negative. The new laws, expected to take effect...

Internal Pfizer Report Warned of Zoloft and Birth Defect Link

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"A Pfizer Inc. report shows a scientist warned executives last year about a potential link between the anti-depressant drug Zoloft and birth defects."

Pfizer Accused of Knowing Zoloft Antidepressant Caused Birth Defects

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The first of more than 1,000 lawsuits about Zoloft and birth defects has gotten underway.

Medicaid Fraud Argued Before 7th Circuit Court of Appeals

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MIA blogger (and lawyer) Jim Gottstein presented a 20-minute Oral Argument in ex rel Watson v. King-Vassel in front of the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago last Thursday. "The technical issue on appeal is a lawyer nerd question about whether expert testimony is required," said Gottstein, "but I like to think it contains a succinct and clear explanation of why even though a doctor can prescribe a drug for anything, if they prescribe one off-label to a child they are causing a False Claim (committing Medicaid Fraud) unless the use has support in at least one of the specified drug references called Compendia."

Antipsychotics Triple the Risk of Diabetes in Children and Youth

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Researchers from Vanderbilt and Columbia Universities and the FDA find that, through a retrospective cohort study of 28,858 patients of the Tennessee Medicaid program...

Antidepressants Linked to Increased Risk of Preeclampsia in Pregnancy

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Pregnant women taking antidepressant medications, especially during the second trimester, have an increased risk of preeclampsia, a potentially serious or even fatal condition.

Nursing Home Director Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Medicating Residents With Psychotropic...

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The former director of a California nursing home has been sentenced to 3 years in prison for inappropriate medication of 23 individuals. All of...

Alberta Long-term Care Homes Reduce Antipsychotic Use by 50%

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The provincial government health service of Alberta, Canada recently concluded a successful pilot project that reduced the use of antipsychotic medications for patients with...

Antidepressants Do Work Well — We’ve Simply Been Evaluating Them Incorrectly

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Not an Onion Study: SSRI antidepressants did consistently outperform placebo in clinical trials, researchers discovered, so long as 16 of the 17 questions about patients' feelings are ignored.

Integrating Mental Health and Development in Nepal

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PLoS Medicine's series on Global Mental Health Practice looks at the BasicNeeds model of Mental Health and Development. BasicNeeds is comprised of five key...

Schizophrenia-Immune System “Link” Opens the Door to Research

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"In order to expose people to dangerous treatments - and immunosuppresive drugs do carry risks - you need serious evidence to suggest those drugs...

J&J Settles With Montana for $5.9M in Risperdal Marketing Lawsuit

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Subsidiaries of Johnson & Johnson have agreed to pay $5.9 million to settle Montana's lawsuit over the company's fraudulent marketing of Risperdal.  According to...