Research News

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

The Creation of a Conceptual Alternative to the DSM: An Interview with Dr. Lucy...

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MIA's Zenobia Morrill interviews Lucy Johnstone about the reaction to the Power Threat Meaning Framework, her life influences, and her hopes for the future.

New Data on the Adverse Effects of Meditation and Mindfulness

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Study reports on the less-examined findings of difficult and painful meditation-related experiences.

Antipsychotics Increase Risk of Dementia; New Research Illuminates Why

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In JAMA psychiatry, researchers outline new theories connecting antipsychotic use in people with schizophrenia and increased dementia risk.

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.

Common Side Effects Leading to Antidepressant Discontinuation

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New research finds the negative drug effects most commonly associated with initiating antidepressant discontinuation are anxiety, suicidal thoughts, vomiting, and rashes.

Is Long-term Use of Benzodiazepines a Risk for Cancer?

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A large study of the population in Taiwan reveals that long-term use of benzodiazepine drugs, commonly prescribed for anxiety, significantly increases the risk for brain, colorectal, and lung cancers. The research, published open-access in the journal Medicine, also identifies the types of benzodiazepines that carry the greatest cancer risk.
3D render of placebo pills isolated over wood background

Placebo Effect—Not Antidepressants—Responsible for Depression Improvement

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In adolescent depression treatment, those who received a placebo but thought they received Prozac improved more than those who received the drug and knew it.

Very Slow Tapering Best For Antidepressant Withdrawal

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A new article in Lancet Psychiatry finds that slower tapering of SSRIs is better for preventing antidepressant withdrawal effects.

Study Examines Experience of Long-Term Antidepressant Use

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The use of antidepressants has increased substantially in recent years, yet relatively few studies have asked patients about their experiences with these drugs. A...

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.

Initial Trial of Ayahuasca for Depression Shows Promising Results

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Ayahuasca found to be effective in treating moderate to severe depression in low-income population.

Cognitive Impairment from Long-Term Benzodiazepine Use Remains Even After Drug Withdrawal

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Long-term benzodiazepine use shown to effect cognitive function during current use and for years after drug discontinuation.

New Data Show Lack of Efficacy for Antidepressants

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An article published this month in the journal BMC Psychiatry suggests that there is a lack of efficacy for SSRIs and that they significantly increase the risk of serious side effects.

United Nations Report Calls for Revolution in Mental Health Care

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In a new report, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to health, Dr. Dainius Pūras, calls for a move away from the biomedical model and “excessive use of psychotropic medicines.”

Less Than a Quarter of Those with Depression Respond to Treatment in Real Life

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In a real-world setting, less than a quarter of patients diagnosed with depression improved with medication, hospitalization, and therapy.

Antidepressant Use Linked to Dementia

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A new study finds that elderly individuals using antidepressants are at significantly higher risk for dementia compared to depressed individuals who did not take the drugs.

ADHD Diagnosis Leads to Worse Quality of Life, Increased Self-Harm in Kids

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When comparing kids with the same symptoms who were either diagnosed with ADHD or not, those who received the diagnosis had worse outcomes.
A boy is holding a head. He is unhappy and upset.

The Faulty Reasoning That Turned ADHD Into a Disease

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Leading ADHD researchers outline four mistakes that turned ADHD from a description of behavior into a medical disease.

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.

When Healing Looks Like Justice: An Interview with Harvard Psychologist Joseph Gone

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MIA’s Ayurdhi Dhar interviews Joseph Gone about how a history of dispossession, conquest, and colonization shapes mental health outcomes in Native American communities.

Psychodynamic Therapy Revealed to be as Efficacious as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

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Meta-analytic study finds that psychodynamic therapy outcomes are equivalent to those of CBT and other empirically supported treatments.

Service-Users Who Found CBT Unhelpful Offer Their Perspectives

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Counseling clients in the UK who found CBT unhelpful were interviewed about their experiences.

How Does the Soteria House Heal?

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The alternative treatment model of Soteria helps individuals suffering from schizophrenia without relying on medication or coercion.

Psychiatry in Need of “Fundamental Rethinking”

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Prominent researchers in psychiatry urge the field to move away from a rigid biological focus toward social and psychological perspectives to meet the needs of today’s world.

Parent Training as Effective for Childhood Anxiety as Therapy

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Yale study finds that training parents how to react to child behaviors is as effective at reducing anxiety as providing therapy to the child.