Monday, March 27, 2023

Psychotropic Medications Serve as Powerful Tools for U.S. Military, Imperialism

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Ethnographic research sheds light on extensive psychopharmaceutical use by soldiers in post 9/11 U.S. wars.

Clinton Releases Mental Health Plan

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Today, Hillary Clinton’s campaign released their plan for addressing mental health care in the United States. The plan calls for a full integration of...

“Electronic Health Data for Postmarket Surveillance: A Vision Not Realized”

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-Thomas Moore of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices asks, "What has been learned about electronic health data as a primary data source for regulatory decisions regarding the harms of drugs?"

“Making a Choice: APA Reform or Business as Usual?”

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Former president of Psychologists for Social Responsibility (PsySR), Roy Eidelson discusses efforts to undermine the Hoffman report which revealed the American Psychologica Association’s collusion in torture. "First, from a familiar playbook, we have the obligatory attack on the patriotism of Hoffman and those who have criticized psychologists’ participation in abusive detention and interrogation operations,” he writes. “The most outrageous example comes from two retired military officers, David Bolgiano and John Taylor. In a recent piece they described the Hoffman Report as a ‘classic attack of cowards’ and also stated, ‘By the publication and release of this report, the APA becomes a willing co-conspirator to the likes of al Qaeda and ISIS.’”

Experts Raise Ethical Concerns About Machine Learning in Medicine

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The use of machine learning algorithms (known as artificial intelligence) in the medical field raises a slew of ethical concerns.

Study Finds Mistreatment and Psychological Distress Among LGBT Prisoners in the US

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The rate of incarceration for lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals is roughly three times that of the general population and they experience significantly higher rates of victimization and mistreatment in prison.

“Should You Tell Work About Your Mental Health Condition?”

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For Vice, Hannah Ewens explores how employers react to depression and anxiety in their employees. “In a fair world, employers wouldn't judge you for...

Research Suggests that Forensic Psychological Examinations are Unreliable and Biased

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Concerns have been raised about inconsistent and unreliable results, which may lead to injustices in sentencing or even wrongful convictions.

“Pentagon Wants Psychologists to End Ban on Interrogation Role”

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Only months after the American Psychological Association voted to ban psychologists from “advanced interrogation” facilities like Guantánamo Bay prison the Pentagon is asking them to...

United Nations Rep Brings Attention to Human Rights Violations in Psychiatry

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Dr. Dainius Pūras argues that the status quo in mental health treatment is no longer acceptable and demands political action to promote human rights.

iPhone Becoming Comprehensive Health and Mental Health Monitor

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-The iPhone is becoming a diagnostic tool drawing medical and mental health data from millions of potential customers.

When Calling the Police Results in Harm, Not Help

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From Slate: The death of Charleena Lyles, who was shot by the police after she called them to report a burglary, serves as a reminder...

“The Psychology of Terrorism: Q&A with John Horgan”

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The Scientific American reprints their interview with psychologist and terrorism expert John Horgan following the attacks in Paris on November 13th. “An issue I find problematic right now is the idea that to prevent terrorism, we have to first prevent radicalization… There are far more people who hold "radical" views than will ever become involved in terrorism, and there are plenty of terrorists (who are already small in number – a point we tend to forget) who don’t initially hold radical views but drift into terrorism regardless.”

When Psychologists Deny Guantanamo Torture

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Psychologist Roy Eidelson comments on the Society for Military Psychology’s criticism of the Hoffman report, which exposed the collusion between the APA and the CIA’s torture program. He writes, “the leaders of APA’s military psychology division have offered a very dark vision for the profession of psychology – a vision that we must reject, both individually and institutionally.”

Russian MP Proposes Psychiatric Exams for All Election Candidates

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"A nationalist lawmaker suggests making politicians disclose their psychiatric problems to the public and punish those who try to hide them by removing them...

Psychiatric Survivors Left Out Of UK Smoking Ban Debate

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As the UK debates whether to ban smoking inside and outside of mental health hospitals, the BMJ has solicited opinion pieces on the debate for an upcoming issue. However, psychiatric survivors have come forward alleging that the BMJ refused to print their pieces unless they removed descriptions of forced treatment and coercive care.

“The Computer Will See You Now”

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The Economist reports on "Ellie," a programmed, virtual psychologist designed by researchers at the Institute for Creative Technologies in Los Angeles, who has a...

Facebook Uses Machine Learning to Spot At-Risk Users

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From Forbes: Facebook is now using algorithms to monitor users' online activity for warning signs of suicidal ideation or self-harm. Article →­

To Live and (Almost) Die in L.A.: A Survivor’s Tale

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After 25 years of chronic emergency, 22 mental hospitalizations, a stint at a “community mental health center,” 13 years in a "board & care," repeated withdrawals from addictions to legal drugs, and a 12-year marriage, I plan to live every last breath out as a survivor, an advocate, and an artist.

A Declaration of Interdependence for the Era of the Murphy Bill

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How we think about health, happiness, and self-fulfillment, how they are linked with flawed systems of government has been assigned to the domain of social scientists. The most influential of those are the psychiatrists who have been given the government-mandated power to diagnose, incarcerate and forcibly drug those who are perceived to have a form of mental illness. I believe that such power is arbitrary, unjust and frequently harmful.

Treating Addiction With an App

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From MIT Technology Review: A new app, Triggr, is using smartphone data to track the behavior of people struggling with substance use and addiction, with...

The Other Foucault

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From The Nation: In two new books, Foucault: The Birth of Power and Foucault's Last Decade, Stuart Elden investigates some of the unexplored aspects of Michel Foucault's...

“The Secret Documents That Detail How Patients’ Privacy is Breached”

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“When the federal government takes the rare step of fining medical providers for violating the privacy and security of patients’ medical information, it issues...

“Why US Law on Guns and Mental Health Needs to Change”

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-New Scientist discusses the reasons that eight US professional health organizations "collectively took a stand against a law that on the face of it, seems like plain common sense."

Mental Health Apps May Lead to Overdiagnosis, Study Finds

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A new study finds that mental health apps promote a one-dimensional view of mental health.