New Study Investigates Negative Side Effects of Therapy

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Researchers find that nearly half of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) patients experience treatment side effects.

Study Explores Pain Assessment for Medically Complex, Nonverbal Children

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To what extent are healthcare providers equipped to assess nuance in the experiences of pain among nonverbal children?
Dan Markingson

Ensuring Integrity of Studies: Analysis of the Dan Markingson Case

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Dan Markingson was a 26-year-old mentally ill young man who violently killed himself in 2004 while enrolled in a drug-sponsored study of atypical antipsychotics among persons experiencing psychosis for the first time. Highly vulnerable individuals like Markingson should not be taken advantage of in the name of scientific research, and inability to protect such vulnerable subjects compromises the integrity of research.

Stimulant Drugs Have Adverse Effects on Cognitive Functioning in Healthy Students

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Study of students without an ADHD diagnosis finds that stimulants (Adderall) have little impact on cognitive performance.

Unsafe Use of Sleep Drug Zolpidem is Common

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Three out of four users of the sedative, zolpidem (brand name Ambien), do not follow FDA recommendations to reduce risk.

The Story of a Professional Delusion: Do Psychiatrists Believe Their Own Words?

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I believe this is what happened: The people responsible for this travesty looked at the truth (that psychiatrists hardly ever tell the truth about their drugs) and realised they didn't like what would flow from that fact getting loose. So they removed it and substituted a falsehood (only ever) whose consequences they could live with.

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.

Poor and Foster Care Children More Likely to be Diagnosed and Treated with Psychiatric...

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Study details Medicaid-insured birth cohort’s exposure to psychiatric medications and mental health services.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation No Better Than Placebo for Treatment-Resistant Depression

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A new study in JAMA Psychiatry found that transcranial magnetic stimulation was no better than placebo for treatment-resistant depression.

Citizens Petition Calls for Sexual Side Effect Warnings

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Researchers take action after study exposes enduring sexual dysfunction as a potential side effect of serotonin reuptake inhibiting antidepressants, 5α-reductase inhibitors, and isotretinoin.

Researcher Critiques Misleading Media Coverage of Lancet Antidepressant Meta-Analysis

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The BMJ’s clinical editor takes issue with uncritical media coverage of antidepressant network meta-analysis, outlining reporting missteps.

Despite the Evidence, Overprescription of Stimulants Continues

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A new study finds that stimulant prescribing rates to children continue to rise despite the well-established evidence documenting overdiagnosis of ADHD and overprescription of stimulants.
risk versus reward

Randomized Controlled Trials of Psychiatric Drugs Tell of Harm Done

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The most important data in an RCT is not whether the drug provides a statistically significant benefit over placebo. The most important data is the “number needed to treat” calculation (NNT). For the person considering taking an antidepressant or an antipsychotic, the NNT data provides the “math” needed to weigh the potential benefit of taking the drug against the potential harm of doing so.

Prominent Researcher and Psychotherapist Questions “Evidence-Based Therapy”

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Dr. Johnathan Shedler recently published a paper critiquing how the term “evidence-based” is being used in the field of psychotherapy.

New Clinical Guidelines on Deprescribing Benzodiazepines

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New guidelines recommend deprescribing benzodiazepine receptor agonists for adults.

Review Finds Lack of Evidence for Antidepressants in Treatment of Insomnia

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Results from a Cochrane meta-analysis find that the common practice of prescribing antidepressants to treat insomnia is not supported by current evidence.

QuarterWatch Reports: Perspectives on Emerging Drug Risks

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A new issue of QuarterWatch critiques the recent Ciprani meta-analysis on antidepressants and reports on the adverse effects of the newest antidepressant, vortioxetine. Report →

Doctors Launch Sweeping Pharmaceutical Reform Proposal

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From Medical Xpress: A group of 21 prominent physicians have released a comprehensive proposal to guarantee everyone access to safe, innovative, and affordable medication. The proposed reforms...

Mental Health Industry Should Embrace Choices Beyond Drugs

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In this video for NowThis, Yana Jacobs critiques the mental health industry standard of prescribing drugs as the first-line treatment for "mental illness." She emphasizes...

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...

Medical Malpractice Verdict Seen as Powerful Message

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From PR Newswire: On May 16th, a $2 million verdict was issued in favor of Stanley and Marianne Truskie, whose son died from toxic levels...

The $3 Billion Research Breakdown

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In this piece for Medscape, Jodi S. Cohen chronicles the research malpractice case of child psychiatrist Mani Pavuluri, who put vulnerable children at serious risk...

Treatment-Resistant Depression as a Sign of Unconscious Health

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In this video, Dr. Elio Frattaroli describes how biological explanations for "treatment-resistant depression" often ignore the meaning and context of a patient's suffering. He...

Nine Rights Every Patient Should Demand

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From The New York Times: Many medical centers, professional associations, and states have developed patients' bills of rights. It is time to develop a Financial Bill of...

Researchers Advocate for More Robust Informed Consent in Psychotherapy

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Paper outlines recommendations for more thorough informed consent process in psychotherapy, which authors proclaim is an “ethical imperative."