Study Finds Mixed Results for Peer-Supported Open Dialogue in the UK
New qualitative study seeks to examine the implementation of the Open Dialogue approach in the UK.
To Warn or Not to Warn? A Critique of MIA’s Use of Diagnostic Terminology
I have concerns about how Mad In America deals with diagnostic terminology. When psychiatric diagnoses are used without signaling that they are constructs and unscientific, I feel alarmed for those who will be strengthened in their mistaken beliefs about the labels.
Researcher Critiques Misleading Claims About Antidepressants
Recent claims about antidepressant effectiveness have been based on misleading statements and misunderstandings of the science.
Bipartisan “RISE from Trauma Act” Introduced to Address Childhood Trauma in America
The Resilience Investment, Support, and Expansion (RISE) From Trauma Act, legislation designed to increase support for children who have been exposed to Adverse Childhood Experiences, includes $50 million in funding for a “mental health in schools” program. Exactly what these programs would entail remains unclear.
The Role of Acculturation in Racial Trauma
In the American Psychologist, researchers argue that the process of acculturation often involves racist ideologies, leading to racial trauma.
For the Record
Here and now, I am Ativan-free and slowly tapering off Wellbutrin after 25+ years. Unable to work due to the severity of iatrogenic injury, I sometimes think of myself as a healing journeywoman. When the terrain is especially rough, I reflect on the words: "The best revenge is living a happy, healthy life." When circumstances and symptoms permit, I’m doing just that.
How Psychotherapists Talk About Politics in the Trump Era
Politics play an important role in the therapeutic relationship and political disclosure now common for psychotherapists.
ECT Litigation Update: Are Patients Being Warned of Brain Damage Risk?
Upon review of hundreds of the "informed" consent forms received from those suffering permanent cognitive impairment after receiving ECT, the overwhelming majority do not provide the patient with any form of disclosure that "brain damage is a risk that can potentially occur from ECT, whether performed properly or not."
Burnout is Indistinguishable from Depression, Researchers Find
Despite burnout being officially recognized as a syndrome, research suggests it overlaps considerably with current understandings of depression.
Why Are the Youngest Children in a Classroom Diagnosed with ADHD?
A new article examines the implications of relative age on the ADHD diagnosis.
Systemic Violence and the Mental Health Industrial Complex
A recent paper, by Dr. Eric Greene, builds upon critiques of the biomedical model and illustrates how the mental health industrial complex overmedicates, stigmatizes,...
A Smashing Victory — And an Insidious New Threat
Afraid of facing me in court, the state gave up entirely and a young man was freed from involuntary ECT treatment. It was a total victory. Meanwhile, the Psychiatric Industrial Complex is finding more subtle ways to inflict electrical energy upon the brains of children labeled with ADHD.
Letter to My Child’s Psychiatrist
Dear Doctor, I wonder if you remember my son... you only spent about ten minutes with him, exactly four days after his first suicide attempt. I asked you if his medication, Zoloft, had anything to do with what was happening. You looked at me and said, "There's no way of knowing; there are too many factors involved."
Are Mental Health Screenings for Youth Worth the Risk?
Researchers shed light on the limitations of mental health screening instruments for youth that are increasingly being used in schools and medical settings.
Psychological Effects of Austerity Policies and Poverty Over-Medicalized, Report Finds
Recent report underscores troubling trends cutting across poverty, austerity reform, and mental health narratives in health care settings.
Getting Pharma Out of Medical Education: An Interview with Dr. Adriane Fugh-Berman
MIA's Gavin Crowell-Williamson interviews PharmedOut founder Dr. Adriane Fugh-Berman about Big Pharma's influence on medical education.
When ‘For Your Own Good’ Actually Means ‘For My Own Good’
“For your own good” is oppressive. Embedded in that four-word phrase is the idea that each of us doesn’t understand who we are or what we need. Someone else is the expert. Someone else has the privilege to hold all the answers, and if those answers don't work for us then somehow it's our fault.
Users and Survivors Respond to World Psychiatric Association: “We Will Not be Silenced Any...
In an open letter to the World Psychiatric Association (WPA), users and survivors defend the UN CRPD and call for relinquishment of psychiatric power.
“You Are Completely Screwed” – A Firsthand Experience with Psychoeducation
Around me in the room I could see the different faces lit up by the big whiteboard raised above us. “There are these symptoms...” The psychiatrist would talk for long periods of time, while the nurses would sit quiet, nodding. I became skeptical and thought: “You are trying to talk me into something.”
Public Purse a Cash Cow for Pharma: Could Taxpayer Dollars Be Better Spent?
In Oregon, which has only about 1% of the national population, medical expenditures for psychiatric drugs in fiscal year 2017-2018 were $82.2 million for adults, and another $8.7 million for youth. Every advocate in the US should request these figures from their state Medicaid offices.
Tough Love for Thomas Szasz: A Book Review
Dr. Thomas Szasz (1920-2012) was one of the greatest thinkers and prose stylists of the last 100 years. Enough time has passed since he died that we can start to take stock of his legacy. This important new collection of essays by former colleagues, psychiatrists, philosophers, and legal experts does just that.
Psychiatrists Argue For More Attention to Iatrogenic Harms
Psychiatrists argue that current practice fails to account for the interaction of biological, psychosocial and iatrogenic factors.
Māori Approach to Mental Health Offers Empowering Alternative to Western Psychiatry
A new article explores Mahi a Atua, an affirming indigenous Māori healing practice which stands in contrast to the Western psychiatric methods typically promoted by the Movement for Global Mental Health.
I’m Introverted, Not Depressed!
Urging introverts to act more extroverted as a pathway to greater life satisfaction is wrongheaded. Elizabeth's case is one where the demoralization and despondency she experiences—forced to sacrifice her needs as an introvert to comply with the social scripts required to live in an extroverted world—masquerades as depression.
Open Dialogue Approach Reduces Future Need for Mental Health Services
The Open Dialogue psychiatric treatment approach is associated with reduced utilization of mental and general health services for Danish youth.
