Former Service User Studies the Inpatient Experience

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Researcher and former service-user Diana Rose utilizes a participatory research process to examine experiences on inpatient wards.

Leah Harris and Tim Murphy Talk “Mental Illness and the Law”

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Today on Radio Times, U.S. Representative Tim Murphy (R-PA), Mark Salzer, professor and chair of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences at Temple University, and Leah...

Is Mindfulness Meditation Good for Kids?

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From Vox: Mindfulness-based interventions are increasingly being introduced in schools and touted as helpful methods of reducing students' anxiety and attention problems. However, the research...

Antidepressant use During Pregnancy may Increase Risk of Birth Defects

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Use of antidepressants increased the risk of organ-specific malformations in women with depression

Highly Cited JAMA Psych Paper Retracted for “Pervasive Errors”

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A study, comparing the effects of antidepressants combined with psychotherapy for severe depression to antidepressants alone, has been retracted and replaced by JAMA Psychiatry....

If a Drug Company Publishes a Magazine, is it Journalism?

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From Undark Magazine: Bayer, the German pharmaceutical and agricultural science conglomerate, has launched a digital magazine covering the ethical and social implications of new biotechnologies....

WSJ Hosts Debate on Depression Screening

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The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recently issued a controversial recommendation that all adolescent and adult patients undergo depression screening in primary care. The...

Opioid Use in Pregnancy Dangerous and Understudied

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Nora Volkow, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), authored an editorial for BMJ this month warning that the opioid abuse epidemic could have dangerous consequences for pregnant women. While the effects of opioid exposure on the developing brain are yet unknown, research suggests that infants may suffer from withdrawal syndrome, nervous system defects, and impaired attachment with the mother.

First Federal Zoloft Birth Defect Trial Scheduled

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In a bellwether case, plaintiffs allege that Pfizer did not adequately warn patients that Zoloft (sertraline) would cause birth defects. The case is scheduled in Federal Court in March, and the verdict will have significant implications for future suits.

Swiss Giant Novartis Likely Bribed Thousands in Greece

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From Medical Xpress: According to Greece's justice minister Stavros Kontonis, it is likely that the pharmaceutical company Novartis has bribed thousands of medical professionals and state officials...

You Might be in a Medical Experiment and not Even Know it

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From Aeon: Medical experiments are increasingly being conducted without the informed consent of participants. Article →­

Is Long-term Use of Benzodiazepines a Risk for Cancer?

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A large study of the population in Taiwan reveals that long-term use of benzodiazepine drugs, commonly prescribed for anxiety, significantly increases the risk for brain, colorectal, and lung cancers. The research, published open-access in the journal Medicine, also identifies the types of benzodiazepines that carry the greatest cancer risk.

Missouri Sued for Over-Drugging Foster Children

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From Reuters: Two youth legal advocacy groups have filed a lawsuit against Missouri for over-exposing foster children to psychotropic drugs. The lawsuit seeks a court...

The Mental Health Act Review: Everything Remains the Same

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From Tales from the Madhouse: On May 1st, the Independent Review of the Mental Health Act published a 60-page interim report. The report makes it clear that no...

Dr. Joel Lexchin Says Big Pharma is too Close With Physicians

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From The Toronto Star: In his new book Doctors in Denial: Why Big Pharma and the Canadian Medical Profession are too Close for Comfort, Dr. Joel...

Systematic Review Finds Antidepressant Withdrawal Common and Potentially Long-lasting

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Prominent researchers conduct a review of antidepressant withdrawal incidence, duration, and severity. Results lead to call for new clinical guidelines.

Journalists Should Report Their Sources’ Conflicts of Interest

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From HealthNewsReview.org: While researchers are usually required to disclose their conflicts of interest in medical journals, media outlets do not often require journalists to disclose...

“Hospitals Want to Test Drug with No Consent”

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“A group of Boston doctors is proposing to join a study that would provide emergency treatment for brain-injured patients without obtaining the trauma victims’...

Compelled Disclosure of Campus Sexual Assault May Be Harmful for Survivors

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The majority of universities require most or all employees to report disclosures of sexual assault, but these policies may be ineffective at addressing campus sexual violence and disempowering for survivors

“21st Century Cures Act will get Vote this Week”

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Several members of Congress spoke this weekend signaling that they were ready to vote on legislation designed to speed federal approval of new drugs...
informed consent

What Would Real Informed Consent on Psychiatric Drugs Look Like?

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Reforming the process of real informed consent can be brought to the horizon sooner rather than later if we have a solid idea of what the provision of truthful, unbiased research-based information about psychiatric medications should look like. Our upcoming series of webinars for 2019 will focus on just that.

Trust Falls – Are We in a New Phase of Corporate Research?

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From The Scholarly Kitchen: We may be in a new phase of corporation-funded research. According to the 2016 Science & Engineering Indicators from the National...

Could ‘Treatment Resistance’ be an Effect of Antidepressants?

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Previously taking antidepressants could make individuals less likely to respond to treatment for bipolar II depression.

Do Antidepressants Increase Risk of Adult Suicide?

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From From Insults to Respect: It is commonly assumed that antidepressants increase the risk of suicide in children and young adults, but not in adults...

“The Hidden Harms of Antidepressants”

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In a new article for Scientific American, Diana Kwon reports on how the true risks for suicide and aggression in children and teens taking...