Psychiatric Medications Heighten Risk for Major Bone Fractures
Important assessment tool found to underestimate the risk for fracture in patients on psychiatric medication.
New UN Report: Steps Forward, But No End to Impunity
Dainius PÅ«ras, UN Special Rapporteur on Health, has issued aĀ groundbreaking new report critiquing biopsychiatry and its reliance on coercion, yet he pulls hisĀ punches, most unforgivably by treating the obligation to end coercive practicesĀ as a matter for gradual rather than immediate implementation.
Trump’s Pick to Run Mental Health
FromĀ STAT: President Trump has nominated Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz, a proponent of increasedĀ psychiatric treatment for those diagnosed with serious mental illness, to run the Substance...
When Oregon Sent its Most Troubled Patients Into the Woods
FromĀ TIME: In 1972, 51 of the most troubled mental health patients at Oregon State Hospital were sent into the woods for a camping trip....
Scott Gottlieb Confirmed as Head of the FDA
FromĀ Pacific Standard: This past Tuesday, the Senate confirmed Scott Gottlieb as head of the Food and Drug Administration.
"Although some Senate Democrats had worried about...
UK Trials Body Cameras for Staff in Mental Health Wards
FromĀ Engadget: An early trial has found that staff-worn body cameras can reduce confrontation and aggressive behavior, including incidents of physical restraint, in psychiatric hospitals.
"If...
The Truth About Long-Term Antidepressant Use
FromĀ The Guardian: As antidepressant prescriptions rise and have doubled in the past decade, mental health experts are becoming increasingly concerned about adverse effects and...
Food Insecurity Linked to Mental Health Globally
Global analysis of 149 countries finds food insecurity is associated with poorer mental health.
AHCA Puts Disabled People One Step Closer to Institutions
FromĀ Talk Poverty: Last week, the House passed the American Health Care Act, which wouldĀ cut funding from in-home care programs and community support for seniors...
Brain Stimulation Research Lacking in Reproducibility and Scientific Integrity
Questionable research practices and poor reproducibility in electrical brain stimulation (EBS) studies.
Mental Health Awareness Month: Seven Things to be Aware of
In this piece forĀ Truthout, Noel Hunter lists seven facts it is important to be cognizant of during Mental Health Awareness Month, from the influence...
Parents Tinker With Diet to Treat ADHD
FromĀ STAT: Concerned about the potential adverse effects of ADHD medications, some parents are addressing their children's ADHD through nutrition-based approaches.
Article āĀ
Dear Scott Gottlieb: Add New Warnings to Paxil Labels
FromĀ STAT: Scott Gottlieb, Trump's pick to lead the FDA, should consider pursuing a stronger warning label for the antidepressant Paxil. Paxil's label currently does...
The ‘Choosing Wisely’ Campaign is Five Years Old
FromĀ MinnPost: TheĀ Choosing Wisely campaign, which was launched to promote informed consent among patients, is now five years old. The campaign has been very successful...
Phony Peer Review: The More we Look, the More we Find
FromĀ STAT: Publishers are increasinglyĀ finding previously published studies that need to be retracted due to fraudulent peer review processes. Springer recently announced the retraction of...
Our Health Care System Still Massively Overtreats Patients
From theĀ Center for Health Journalism: It is a commonly held belief that more medical care is always better; however, overtreatment can be harmful to...
13 Reasons to Watch 13 Reasons Why
FromĀ Acting NT: Many mental health advocates have objected to the Netflix seriesĀ 13 Reasons Why, which centers around the suicide of a teenage girl. Here...
Training Nursing Home Staff in Understanding Needs Can Reduce Antipsychotic Use
A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, the largest study of its kind, has shown it is possible to reduce the use of antipsychotics in nursing homes, by engaging their staff in a training program designed to target residentsā strengths and their unmet needs.
Change in Chicago: The Dolin Verdict
Finally, faced with the twenty known and two possible suicides on Paxil during clinical trials, Dr. Kraus reluctantly conceded that 80% of the victims were over thirty. Whatever they had told the FDA, the risks of Paxil could not be confined to adolescents ā and GSK knew it.
Wendy Dolin Takes on GlaxoSmithKline And Wins ā For Now at Least
In July of 2010, Stewart Dolin, a partner at the mega law firm Reed Smith, jumped in front of a subway train in Chicago, apparently suffering from akathisia caused by paroxetine. His widow sued, and the jury found GSK negligent in not informing doctors of the suicide risk
Court-Ordered Psychiatric Tests Used as a Weapon
FromĀ Courier Mail: Divorced parents are increasingly ordering involuntary psychiatric examinations against one another to be used as a weapon in custody fights.
"Family lawyer Deborah...
New Review Highlights Dangers of Electroconvulsive Therapy
Data shows that over a third of users experience permanent memory loss and that approximately half report not receiving adequate information about the risks from their doctors.
Woman Raped in State Hospital Can’t Sue for Damages
FromĀ CBS News: The Massachusetts Appeals Court recently ruled that a woman who was raped at a state psychiatric hospital cannot sue the state for...
Anticonvulsant Implicated in Birth Defects in up to 4,100 Children, French Study Finds
Between 2,150 and 4,100 children suffered from severe malformations connected to valproate prescription.
Autism’s Drug Problem
FromĀ Scientific American: Many autistic children are prescribed multiple psychiatric medications, which can lead to serious adverse effects and are often ineffective.
"Multiple diagnoses lead to...
