Research News

Summaries of research findings that tell of a scientific need to "rethink psychiatry."

Deadly Prescriptions: New Study Links Antipsychotics to Life-Threatening Risks in Dementia Patients

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With pharmaceutical companies pushing antipsychotics for off-label use, dementia patients are being put at risk for devastating health consequences. Research suggests safer alternatives existā€”but why arenā€™t they being prioritized?

Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms Linked to Life-Altering Consequences, New Study Shows

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A new study reveals that withdrawal symptoms from antidepressants can last years, disrupting lives and relationships.

Antidepressants No Better Than Placebo for About 85% of People

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Researchers canā€™t predict the 15% who benefit from antidepressants, and the other 85% are unnecessarily exposed to the harms of the drugs.

It is Time to Abandon the Candidate-Gene Approach to Depression

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The candidate-gene approach to depression goes unsupported and is likely based on bad science, new research finds.
Top View of Girl Sits on Bed with Scattered Pills. Little Child Sitting on Gray Badcover Near Opened Packing of Medicines Keeps Head with Hands. Unhappy Childhood Concept

Antidepressants Increase Suicide Attempts in Youth; No Preventative Effect

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Researchers find that SSRIs increase suicide attempts up to age 24, and have no preventative effect at any age, even for those at high risk of suicide.

Reframing Antipsychotic Discontinuation: A Psychiatristā€™s Personal and Professional Call for Epistemic Justice

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A psychiatrist with lived experience advocates for a more humane, collaborative approach to antipsychotic discontinuation that respects diverse ways of knowing.

Peer-Support Groups Were Right, Guidelines Were Wrong: Dr. Mark Horowitz on Tapering Off Antidepressants

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In an interview with MIA, Dr. Horowitz discusses his recent article on why tapering off antidepressants can take months or even years.

Hyperbolic Tapering off Antidepressants Limits Withdrawal

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New research by Jim van Os and Peter Groot finds that using hyperbolic tapering to discontinue antidepressants reduces withdrawal effects.

Benzodiazepines Linked to Suicide, Study Finds

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A new study finds that benzodiazepinesā€”alprazolam (Xanax), lorazepam (Ativan), and diazepam (Valium)ā€”are associated with an increased risk of suicidal events.

Randomized Controlled Trial Confirms That Antipsychotics Damage the Brain

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A new study published in JAMA Psychiatry connects antipsychotics with damage to the brain in multiple areas.

Robin Williams On Antidepressant at Time of Suicide

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Robin Williams had "therapeutic" levels of the tetra-cyclic antidepressant mirtazapine in his blood at the time of his suicide, according to the coroner's report...

Recovery Rate Six Times Higher For Those Who Stop Antipsychotics Within Two Years

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People with "serious mental illness" who stop taking antipsychotics are more likely to recover, even when accounting for baseline severity.

Antidepressant Withdrawal: A Psychiatrist’s 30-Year Challenge to Conventional Wisdom

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For thirty years, Dr. Giovanni Fava has sounded the alarm on the long-term effects of antidepressants and the risks of withdrawal, pushing back against pharmaceutical narratives.

Antidepressants Linked to Lasting Sexual Dysfunction, Study Finds

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New research highlights the challenges in quantifying the prevalence of Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD), a condition that continues to affect patients long after they stop taking antidepressants.

Overuse of Psychiatric Drugs is Worsening Public Mental Health, Doctor Argues

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A new research article asserts that the overuse of psychiatric drugs may create neurobiological changes that hamper long-term mental health recovery.

Study Finds Over 25% of Antidepressant Prescriptions Given to High-Risk, Long-Term Users

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A new article published in BMC Medicine finds that antidepressant use in two Scottish regions increased 27% between 2012 and 2019. The current work,...

Involuntary Hospitalization Increases Risk of Suicide, Study Finds

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New study finds that people who felt they were coerced into being hospitalized were more likely to attempt suicide later.

ADHD Drugs Linked to Psychosis and Mania

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In one analysis, those on a high dose of prescription amphetamines were more than 13 times more likely to develop psychosis/mania.

Service Users Report Psychiatric Professionals as the Least Helpful Factor in Quitting Antipsychotics

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A new study published in Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice finds that psychiatrists and other doctors are the most unhelpful factor for...

Antidepressant Withdrawal Commonly Misdiagnosed as ā€œMental Illnessā€

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A new study reveals that more than two-thirds of patients experiencing antidepressant withdrawal were misdiagnosed with psychiatric disorders.

Suicide Rates Rise While Antidepressant Use Climbs

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Multiple media sources are reporting on new dataĀ from the CDC revealing a substantial increase in the suicide rate in the United States between 1999...

Antidepressants Blunt Ability to Feel Empathy

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A new study suggests that taking antidepressants impairs empathy, while the experience of depression itself does not.

Antidepressants Overprescribed to Post-Menopausal Women Despite Risks

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A new study reveals that antidepressants, commonly prescribed to post-menopausal women, may increase risks of falls, cognitive decline, and cardiovascular issues, raising questions about their overuse in this population.

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.

Withdrawal Symptoms Common for Those who Stop Taking Antidepressants

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A new study, published in Molecular Psychiatry, investigates the prevalence and typical characteristics of antidepressant withdrawal syndrome (AWS) through analyzing available research. Researchers found...