Germanwings Pilot Reportedly Had Antidepressants — Many Banned By US FAA
The German pilot who apparently deliberately crashed a passenger plane reportedly had antidepressant drugs in his home, use of which is restricted or disallowed by many aviation regulators.
Many People Taking Antidepressants Don’t Have Any Mental Disorders
The majority of people taking antidepressant medications have never had major depressive disorder, and 38% have never met criteria for having any mental disorder.
Why Do Better Health Care Systems Make People Feel Less Healthy?
The more a country's system of medical care expands, the sicker people feel -- and much of that effect seems related to psychiatry.
Antipsychotics Even Riskier For The Elderly Than Previously Thought
Antipsychotic medications that are commonly being used to help control behaviors in elderly people with dementia seem to be causing premature deaths at high rates.
University of Minnesota Suspends Enrollment in Psychiatric Drug Trials
After a second critical report this month about its psychiatry department's ethical practices and conflicts of interest, the University of Minnesota has temporarily suspended enrollment in its psychiatric drug trials.
One-sixth of College Students Misuse ADHD Stimulants
About 17% of college students take stimulants such as Ritalin and Adderall, primarily because they believe the drugs will help them improve their academic performance.
Most Medical Study Authors in US Still Failing to Comply With Legal Obligations
The majority of clinical trials are still not reporting their results to the US government's ClinicalTrials.gov.
Report on University of Minnesota Psychiatric Research Practices “Scathing”
The latest investigative report into the University of Minnesota's psychiatric research practices was "scathing," reported Forbes in a two-part story.
Long-term Use of Lithium Can Cause Kidney Failure
A third of patients who have taken the common psychiatric medication lithium for over ten years have developed "chronic renal failure" from the drug.
Antipsychotic Use in Nursing Homes Causing Many Adverse Effects in Elderly
A literature review found that the extensive off-label use of antipsychotic medications in nursing homes is causing many adverse effects and providing limited benefits.
Self-regulation of Pharma Drug Advertising Failing in UK and Sweden
Pharmaceutical companies are regularly breaching industry codes of conduct in their promotion and advertising of their drugs in Europe.
Some Common Psychiatric Medications Associated With Pneumonia
Pneumonia cases in the elderly are strongly associated with use of anticholinergic medications, including benzodiazepines and tricyclic antidepressants.
Many States Trying to Slow Antipsychotic Prescribing to Children
Thirty-one US states have implemented some kind of "prior authorization" policies to try to rein in the unnecessary prescribing of antipsychotic medications to children.
Inappropriate Antipsychotic Prescriptions to Children Keep Increasing
Clinicians are following best practice guidelines only half of the time when giving antipsychotic medications to children, and following FDA-approved indications only one-fourth of the time.
FDA Approves Another Antipsychotic for Children
The FDA has approved the atypical antipsychotic Saphris (asenapine) for use in children on the basis of one trial.
Many Pharmaceutical Companies Funding Congressman Tim Murphy
Data on OpenSecrets.gov show Murphy is being heavily funded by the same interests that stand to benefit financially from his Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act -- pharmaceutical companies and psychiatric hospitals.
Sleep Aid Melatonin May Not Be Safe for Children
Increasing numbers of children with sleep disorders are being treated with the hormone melatonin, but the medication has not been approved for such use.
“Hearing Voices: tracing the borders of normality”
-Rhianna Goozee discusses the development of the Hearing Voices Movement and how research has blurred the lines between "healthy" and "normal" minds.
California Senate Panel Investigates Drugging of Foster Kids
The chair of a state Senate committee told a public hearing that California’s foster care system “has grown more addicted to mind-altering medication."
J&J Loses Case Over Risperdal Antipsychotic Causing Male Breast Growth
A jury decided Johnson & Johnson must pay a Philadelphia man $2.5 million in damages "for failing to warn that its Risperdal antipsychotic could cause gynecomastia."
Antidepressants Actually Reduce Serotonin Levels
Common scientific beliefs about serotonin levels in depression and how antidepressants act on the brain appear to be completely backwards.
No Proven Treatments of Any Kind for Psychosis or Schizophrenia in Children or Youth
There are no proven treatments of any kind for children or adolescents experiencing psychosis or schizophrenia, according to a meta-analysis of randomized comparison trials published in PLOS One.
Stopping SSRI Antidepressants Can Cause Long, Intense Withdrawal Problems
In the first systematic review of withdrawal problems that patients experience when trying to get off SSRI antidepressant medications, researchers found that withdrawing from SSRIs was comparable to trying to quit addictive benzodiazepines.
Six Years of Re-education and Restrictions Sufficient to Change Inappropriate Prescribing Habits
A six-year program run by the NHS Foundation Trust aimed at reducing high rates of inappropriate polypharmacy and overprescribing by physicians and psychiatrists to mental health patients in UK inner cities was successful.
Corrupted Drug Trials Frequently Found, But Facts Hidden from Journals, Public
The US Food and Drug Administration frequently uncovers evidence of improper conduct in drug trials, but they are almost never mentioned in the medical journals that subsequently publish the findings.
