Research News

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

Lancet Psychiatry’s Controversial ADHD Study: Errors, Criticism, and Responses

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Amid calls for a retraction, Lancet Psychiatry publishes articles criticizing the original finding and a response from the authors.

Psychiatric Medications Heighten Risk for Major Bone Fractures

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Important assessment tool found to underestimate the risk for fracture in patients on psychiatric medication.

Study Highlights Importance of Social Interactions in Psychosis Recovery

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Study finds frequency of social interactions predicts long-term remission in first-episode psychosis.

Racism Linked to Poor Health Outcomes in Children

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New study finds children who have been exposed to discrimination show higher likelihood of anxiety, depression, and ADHD.

Food Insecurity Linked to Mental Health Globally

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Global analysis of 149 countries finds food insecurity is associated with poorer mental health.

Researchers Search for Subgroups Where Antidepressants Are More Effective

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The researchers theorized that this increased effectiveness was due not to “antidepressant” properties, but rather to the drug’s side effects, which include insomnia, drowsiness, and nausea.

Childhood Adversity May Increase Risk of Suicide

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Swedish study suggests experiencing adversity in childhood is linked to dying by suicide as an adolescent or young adult.

Training Nursing Home Staff in Understanding Needs Can Reduce Antipsychotic Use

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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 residents’ strengths and their unmet needs.

New Review Highlights Dangers of Electroconvulsive Therapy

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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.

Anticonvulsant Implicated in Birth Defects in up to 4,100 Children, French Study Finds

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Between 2,150 and 4,100 children suffered from severe malformations connected to valproate prescription.

Providing Trauma Informed Brief Counseling to College Students

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Recommendations on how to provide trauma-informed, short-term counseling to college students who have experienced sexual assault and interpersonal violence.

Researchers Fail to Predict Criminal Intent with Brain Scans

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A new study in the journal PNAS explores whether brain scans are ineffective at identifying criminal intent in carefully designed situations.

Study Explores Cognitive Effects of Antipsychotics

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Reduced usage of antipsychotics in first-episode psychosis was associated with improved executive functioning.

Could ‘Treatment Resistance’ be an Effect of Antidepressants?

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Previously taking antidepressants could make individuals less likely to respond to treatment for bipolar II depression.

Veterans with both PTSD and Dementia More Likely to be Prescribed Antipsychotics

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Researchers found that veterans with both conditions had higher odds of being prescribed second-generation antipsychotics than those presenting with just PTSD.

New Findings Suggest Masculinity is a Risk Factor for Suicidal Thinking

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Men who report being self-reliant may be at greater risk of suicidal thinking.

Added Evidence for Yoga for Major Depression

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Randomized controlled trial finds yoga intervention reduces depression severity.

Reducing Overuse of Low-Value Treatments

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Researchers provide an action-planning framework to engage providers in the reduction of low-value healthcare.

Physical Activity Predicts Fewer Symptoms of Depression in Children

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An article published in Pediatrics is the first to examine the relationship between physical activity and depression in middle childhood (years 6 to 10) longitudinally.

Researchers Make a Case for a “Theory of Nothing” in Psychology

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What meaning do psychological constructs really hold, and how are they operationalized and statistically modeled within psychology research?

Danish Study Finds Better 10-year Outcomes in Patients Off Antipsychotics

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Study finds that 74% of patients with a psychotic disorder off antipsychotics at end of 10 years are in remission.

A Healthier Diet Reduces Depressive Symptoms

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The “Mediterranean diet” has been associated with reduced risk of depressive symptoms, and a new study demonstrates that dietary changes may be an effective treatment intervention.

Professionals Push Back on Psychiatric Diagnostic Manual, Propose Alternatives

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Criticisms of the DSM-5 spark alternative proposals and calls to reform diagnostic systems in the mental health field.

Two Thirds of Patients See Physicians Who Receive Payments From Pharma

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Study finds more patients are visiting physicians who have ties to industry than previously thought.

‘Do Antidepressants Work?’ is the Wrong Question

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“This research points to the inadequacy of asking the simple question: ‘Do antidepressants work?’ Instead, the value or otherwise of antidepressants needs to be understood in the context of the diversity of experience and the particular meaning they hold in people’s lives.”