Identifying Psychiatric Drugs Leading to Emergency Room Visits
More than ten-percent of adults in the United States are currently prescribed at least one psychiatric medication but there is currently a lack of research on the prevalence of adverse drug events (ADEs) associated with these prescriptions outside of clinical trials.
Antidepressants Increase Risk of Death, Study Finds
Antidepressants are commonly considered safe and effective treatments. However, research has questioned their efficacy, and now, their safety.
Benzo Drugs, UK Fudge, Cover Up and Consequences
In 1980, the British Medical Journal published a “Systematic Review of the Benzodiazepines” by the Committee on the Review of Medicines. The committee denied the addictive potential of Benzodiazepines and limited their suggestions to short term use. The results have been devastating.
How UCLA is Fighting a Proxy Patent Battle in India
From The Wire: Xtandi, a life-prolonging cancer drug, currently does not have a patent in India, meaning that Indian cancer patients are able to access...
Investigation Reveals Alarming ECT Practices in England
Audit of ECT usage, demographics, and adherence to guidelines and legislation raises concern over its continued use.
“European Regulator Recommends Suspending Numerous Drugs Over Clinical Trial Problems”
Pharmalot’s Ed Silverman reports that a number of generic drugs, sold by Novartis and Teva Pharmaceuticals, may be pulled off of the shelves after...
“Flimsy Evidence” for Esketamine as Depression Treatment
A new article documents the “flimsy evidence” behind the recent FDA approval of the party drug esketamine for the treatment of depression.
The Epidemic of “Junk Science”
From The Lown Institute: Every year, we spend $240 billion to fund biomedical research. According to a science reporter and author Richard Harris, as much as half...
The Corruption of Medical Language
In this piece for The BMJ, Richard Smith emphasizes the need for clear, understandable academic writing that is accessible to general audiences.
"Almost everything, I believe,...
“Many in US Congress Hold Health Industry Investments”
“About 30 percent of senators and 20 percent of representatives held assets in biomedical and health-care companies, or in specialty funds set up to invest...
“80% of Data in Chinese Clinical Trials have been Fabricated”
An investigation by the Chinese government found that more than eighty percent of all of the data on new pharmaceuticals had been “fabricated.” “The...
Some Social Scientists are Tired of Asking for Permission
From The New York Times: The Department of Health and Human Services's Office for Human Research Protections recently revised its rules for social science research. Studies...
FDA Invites Comments on Guidelines for Informed Consent
The United States Food and Drug Administration is inviting comments on its new draft guidelines for informed consent. "This guidance is intended to provide...
New Book Deconstructs Ideology of Cognitive Therapy
CBT forwards a hyper-rational perspective of human suffering that complements a managerialist culture of efficiency and institutionalization in the Western world.
Failure to Follow New Research Guidelines Problem for Top Psychiatry Journals
Despite updated standards requiring preregistration of clinical trials aimed at improving transparency, most studies published in the top-5 psychiatry journals from 2009 to 2013 do not meet the new guidelines, according to an analysis published in PloS one.
New Report Points to Gaps in the Evidence for Pediatric Bipolar Disorder
A new report on pediatric bipolar critically examines the current evidence base and calls for more research before the diagnosis is used.
Conflicts of Interest Found in Psychotherapy Research
Research highlights the need for conflict of interest transparency and management in systemic reviews of psychological therapies.
Psychiatrists’ Fear of Death Linked to Negative Feelings Towards Certain Patients
-A survey of 120 psychiatrists found that the more psychiatrists fear death, the more negative emotions they have towards people diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.
Lancet Editor Proclaims Half of All Scientific Studies are False
Collective Evolution discusses a recent commentary by the editor of The Lancet stating that "much of the scientific literature, perhaps half, may simply be untrue."
You Might be in a Medical Experiment and not Even Know it
From Aeon: Medical experiments are increasingly being conducted without the informed consent of participants.
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Silicon Valley Courts Brand-Name Teachers, Raising Ethics Issues
From The New York Times: Tech companies are increasingly recruiting school teachers to help improve and promote their education tools in exchange for perks, including...
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.
Study Finds Racial and Class Discrimination in Psychotherapy
Are psychotherapists less likely to accept patients that are working class or black? According to a new study from the American Sociological Association, the answer is yes. The study, published in this month’s issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, found that therapists in New York City were less likely to offer appointments to patients who were black or lower working-class.
“When the Brain is Under Attack”
The Boston Globe reports on the discovery of a newly recognized neurological disease, anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis. The disease is believed to be caused when the body’s immune system attacks proteins in the brain associated with the communication of neurons.
Understanding the Psychology of Bad Science
-Nautilus explores the ideas of a psychologist who has been examining the minds behind the expanding proliferation of flawed science.
