Bridging Critical and Conceptual Psychiatry: An Interview with Awais Aftab
MIAâs Justin Karter interviews psychiatrist Awais Aftab about how âconceptual competenceâ uses philosophy to transform psychiatry.
Snakes and Ladders: How Psychiatry Took Away My Choices
The psychiatric system takes away all choices and freedom and calls the resulting state "mental illness." Psychiatry justifies alienation rather than repairing it.
Bias in Clinical Algorithms Make Health Disparities Worse
From The Lown Institute: Because of bias that exists in many clinical algorithms, doctors are unintentionally giving people of color worse treatment.
The Battle for the Soul of Psychiatry: Ronald W. Pies, MD
From Psychiatric Times: Dr. Aftab and Dr. Pies revisit various criticisms of psychiatry, and discuss the professionâs relationship with its critics.
Psychiatric Disorders as an Imperfect Community: Peter Zachar, PhD
From Psychiatric Times: In this interview, Dr. Aftab discusses how psychiatric disorders can be viewed as an "imperfect community."
Drug-Drug Interactions Could Imperil COVID-19 Treatment
From Undark: Some of the most commonly prescribed medications can have strong and sometimes dangerous interactions with some experimental COVID-19 therapies.
COVID-19 Crisis: People Living in Institutions Must Not Be Written Off
From Deinstitutionalisation: Public authorities struggle to protect the well-being of people in need of care and support those living in residential institutions.
Worried About a Coronavirus Summer Slump? Boost Kidsâ Brainpower With Nature
From National Geographic: Time spent outdoors has been linked with improved attention spans, better memory, and enhanced executive function.
How to Deal With Your Teenager’s Depression
From The Telegraph: Classic signs of teen depression can be tricky to spot now that pyjamas are acceptable daywear and many of our routines have vanished.
NCMHR Calls for Ending Police Role in Mental Health Crises
From National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery: NCMHR calls for using the increased mental health funding to expand voluntary, trauma-informed, community-based care.
The Year I Lost Everything, Psychiatry Offered Nothing
After a failed suicide attempt following my son's death, New York State incarcerated me in a mental institution for 21 days. The environment was degrading, stultifying, and downright depressing.
An Open Letter to National Association of Social Workers on Law Enforcement
From Medium: Rather than immediately endorsing President Trumpâs executive order, we need to examine our existing relationships with law enforcement
Youth Antidepressant Use Associated With Increased Suicide and Self-Harm
National data on rates of youth antidepressant prescription, suicide, and self-harm in Australia sparks public health debate about drug safety.
The Secret History of “Criminally Insane”
From Aeon: Until the 20th century, little was known about mental illness. Judging whether a person was deranged â seriously mentally ill and irrational â was seen as a matter for common knowledge.
Amid COVID, People Involuntarily Confined in Psych Hospitals Must Be Released
From Truthout Holding people in congregate environments dramatically increases risk of coronavirus-related illness up to and including death.
Suicide & Candy Corn: The Utility and Challenges of Risk Assessments
Researchers admit their suicide risk assessments work only about as well as random guessing, and they can lead to harm. We can instead focus on finding new ways to form connections that might help tether someone to this world.
Chinese Philosophy Has Long Known That Mental Health Is Communal
From Psyche: Often overlooked are the ways in which social norms, cultural beliefs and communal attitudes contribute to mental illness.
Kerry OâMalley: A Personal Struggle Against Forced Medication
Neglect for personal autonomy is a pervasive attitude in the mental health system. No human being should be stripped of their dignity and autonomy, much less a vulnerable 74-year-old woman.
Instrument of the Machine No More
Early in my social work career, I truly believed that medication and forced confinement helped heal âmental illness.â Then an abrupt awakening completely altered my worldview.
ECT Depression Therapy Should Be Suspended, Study Suggests
From The BBC: The study's joint author, Prof Irving Kirsch, said "The failure to find any meaningful benefits in long-term benefits compared to placebo groups are particularly distressing."
Is It Time to Rethink Mental Illness in Light of the Pandemic?
Now that so many are experiencing distress because of the coronavirus, can we not appreciate that many who have been labeled mentally ill have long experienced these kinds of hardships?
The âMentally Illâ Are LESS Dangerous
From Daniel Kriegman: Releasees who had been identified as having a mental illness but lacked a history of substance abuse had the lowest rate of recidivism.
Defunding the Police: Replacing Guns With Prescription Pads Is Not the Answer
Mental health workers responding to emergency calls and crises results in coercion, labelling and othering, paternalism, force, and, yes, even violence, all under the guise of âfor your own good.â
I Lost Direction, Forgot the Way Home – Fighting ECT
From Israel Hayom: Just as they do not know how the treatment mechanism works, they also do not know how to predict damages or prevent them.
Study Finds SSRIs Associated with Increased Risk for Violent Crime
Study finds an apparent connection between SSRIs, the most commonly prescribed type of antidepressant, and increased risk of violent crime.
