Here’s the Real Data: No Increase in Suicide Attempts Following Black Box Warning

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A British Medical Journal study led by Harvard Medical School's Christine Lu suggested that black box warnings about increased suicidality in youth who take antidepressants actually led to increases in adolescent suicide attempts. However, the latest in a stream of critics of that conclusion are the authors of one of the key studies cited by Lu in support of her team's analysis.

“The Giant, Gaping Hole in Sandy Hook Reporting”

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David Kupelian, editor of Whistleblower magazine, reviews the evidence for a role of psychiatric medication in violent events such as the Sandy Hook tragedy...

Ohio to Review Antipsychotics in Foster and Other Children

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The state of Ohio plans to invest $1 million in the next three years to review the use of psychiatric drugs prescribed to children,...

Despite Risks, Antidepressant Use among Reproductive Age Women Increases

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Accumulating evidence points to serious risks associated with antidepressant use during pregnancy, yet data suggests that prescriptions continue to rise in the US. "Given...

More Discussion of Antidepressant Withdrawal Effects

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-Forensic psychiatrist Andrew Shepherd reviews a recent study on withdrawal effects from coming off antidepressant drugs.

The Simple Treatment That Beats Antidepressants

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From PsyBlog: Research suggests that taking a brisk walk three times a week may be more effective in alleviating depression than antidepressants. Almost two-thirds of study...

Glaxo to Pay $3 Billion for Unapproved Marketing of Paxil & Wellbutrin

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In agreeing to settle the largest case of health care fraud in U.S. history, GlaxoSmithKline pled guilty today to marketing Paxil for teens and...

“Direct-to-Consumer Advertising — Selling Drugs or Diseases?”

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With the American Medical Association (AMA) declaring its opposition to direct-to-consumer (DTC) drug advertising, Martha Rosenberg asks, did DTC increase the number of people who have "diseases"?

“Anti-Depressants for Teens: A Second Look”

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Writing for the Harvard Health Blog, Dr. Nandinia Mani reconsiders the use of antidepressants in teens in light of the reanalysis of Study 329. ...

“Personal Pain led Widow to Prescription Drug Safety Advocacy”

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“In 2003, Kim’s husband, Tim ("Woody") Witczak, sought help for insomnia. His doctor prescribed the antidepressant Zoloft. Five weeks later, Witczak's father found Woody...

5,012 Englishwomen Poisoned Last Year by Benzos, 8,501 by SSRIs

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Addiction Today reports "Attention on illicit drugs has deflected focus from the gigantic scale of harms by legal, prescribed drugs. We give you the...

Mediated Realities

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In this editorial for Tidsskriftet, Ketil Slagstad discusses how the Norwegian media's uncritical coverage of the Lancet antidepressant study points to deeper underlying issues within the...

“Zap Mama: My Long, Slow, Dizzy Breakup With My Antidepressant”

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-Salon assistant editor Joanna Rothkopf describes her year of failed efforts to get off the antidepressant Zoloft.

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 →

Psychology vs. Psychiatry – What Can Happen if the System Fails

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From Vox Gibraltar: Many people confuse psychology with psychiatry. Too often, general practitioners recommend psychiatric treatment when psychological treatment or therapy could be just as effective without resulting...

“When Pills Are the Problem”

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In the context of the Silicon Valley suicides, one mother offers her story about her daughter. “It’s my premise that not only the culture of Silicon Valley, but also, almost more importantly, the nature of the remedies that are being proposed in the name of mental health counseling, are to blame in these deaths.”

The Chemical Imbalance Theory of Mental Disorders

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In this video for AdvancingMentalHealth.org, Jeff Baker provides a detailed overview and critique of the chemical imbalance theory of mental illness.

“Mental Illness: is ‘Chemical Imbalance’ Theory a Myth?”

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Canada's The Star traces the "chemical imbalance" story's fall from bedrock scientific principle to marketing device, at the same time that a $70 billion...

We Need Ecstasy and Cocaine in Place of Prozac and Xanax

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From Aeon: While psychiatric drugs are often ineffective and can have serious side effects, there are many psychedelics and other illicit substances that have proven...

Use of Psychiatric Services “Skyrocketing” in Turkey

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The number of people seeking psychiatric treatment in Turkey rose from 3 million people in 2009 to almost 9.2 million in 2013, according to...

Global Survey: Do Antidepressants Work?

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The Guardian and its partners in Europe - Le Monde, El Pais, La Stampa, Gazeta Wyborcza and Suddeutsche Zeitung - are conducting a global...

“What’s it Really Like to Take Antidepressants?”

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Britain's HealthTalkOnline.org offers videotaped interviews with 36 people in their homes, talking about their decision to take antidepressants and the impact of that decision...

Older Patients Being Prescribed Risky Anticholinergic Drugs

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From MinnPost: A new University of Minnesota study has found that anticholinergic drugs, including antidepressants, continue to be prescribed to millions of older Americans despite...

“Legal Marijuana, Antidepressants, and the Danger of not Listening”

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Dr. Claudia Gold of Boston.com comments on the recent research finding that "thoughts of suicide, sexual difficulties and emotional numbness as a result of anti-depressants...

FDA: New Depression Drug “Not Approvable”

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Gepirone, a new depression drug by Fabre-Kramer Pharmaceuticals, did not meet the FDAs efficacy standards. The new drug application for gepirone has now received...