“Brokers of Junk Science?”

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The Center for Public Integrity reports that two scientific journals known for their industry ties have become go-to publications for researchers who minimize risks...

“Meet the Robin Hood of Science”

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Big Think recalls “the tale of how one researcher has made nearly every scientific paper ever published available for free to anyone, anywhere in the...

Family Oriented, Home-Based Treatment Best for Youth with Symptoms of Psychosis

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A pathbreaking new study out of Finland suggests that early intervention programs for youth experiencing psychotic-like symptoms may see the greatest improvement when treatment works within the home rather than in a hospital setting. The research, to be published in next month’s issue of Psychiatry Research, found greater improvement in functioning, depression, and hopelessness among teens in a new need-adapted Family and Community oriented Integrative Treatment Model (FCTM) program.

“Early Behavior Therapy Found to Aid Children With A.D.H.D.”

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“Children with attention-deficit problems improve faster when the first treatment they receive is behavioral therapy — like instruction in basic social skills — than...

“UK National Health Service Officials Take Second Salaries from Pharma Firms”

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Breitbart reports that dozens of NHS officials with the power to decide which drugs the agency uses are also being paid by Big Pharma....

Minority Discrimination Linked to Psychosis

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A study published in this month’s issue of the Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology found that perceived discrimination related to minority status may precede...

“Drug Trials Not Reported in Line with Ethical and Legal Demands”

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“Decisions about the effectiveness of drugs are being made with incomplete information because results of almost three-quarters of clinical trials are still not published...

“Misuse Of ADHD Drugs By Young Adults Drives Rise In ER Visits”

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"It's no secret that stimulant medications such as Adderall that are prescribed to treat symptoms of ADHD are sometimes used as 'study drugs' aimed...

“Sugar May be as Damaging to the Brain as Extreme Stress or Abuse”

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“The fact that drinking sugar or exposure to early life stress reduced the expression of genes critical for brain development and growth is of...

“New Plan to Treat Schizophrenia Is Worth Added Cost, Study Says”

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Benedict Carey of the New York Times reports on the success of new schizophrenia and psychosis programs that provide family counseling and job and...

Are Antidepressants and Psychotherapy Really Equally Effective for Depression?

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A recent review of the evidence by the American College of Physicians (ACP) determined that cognitive behavioral therapy and antidepressants had similar levels of effectiveness for the treatment of depression. In a critical commentary for the Journal of Mental Health, however, Michael Sugarman from Wayne State University challenges these findings. Pointing to differences in research settings and clinical practice, Sugarman asserts that “these head-to-head comparisons are heavily biased in the direction of psychiatric care.”

The Evidence-Based Long-Term Treatment for Depression

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While antidepressants are the most commonly used long-term treatment for depression, the efficacy of these drugs after one year is unknown. In a commentary for The Lancet, psychiatrists Rudolf Uher and Barbara Pavlova suggest that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) now has the most substantial body of evidence for long-term treatment for major depressive disorder.

Outrage Over Biotech Party Objectifying Women

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“Two prominent women in the biotech community were so appalled by reports about a party at J.P. Morgan featuring scantily clad models that they've...

“Should You Be My Valentine? Research Helps Identify Good and Bad Romances”

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“Thankfully, scientists who study relationships know a lot about factors to consider when weighing whether your partner should be your Valentine, this year and...

“When the Evidence-Base Doesn’t Agree”

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Christopher Gill, a Global Health specialist at Boston University, reports on his comparison of the strength of the evidence from meta-analyses and Cochrane meta-analyses....

Meditation and Exercise Reduce Depression Symptoms 40%

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A combination of exercise and meditation done twice a week over two months may reduce depression symptoms by 40 percent, according to a new study published open-access this month in Translational Psychiatry. Following the eight-week intervention, the student participants that had previously been diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) reported significantly less symptoms and ruminative thoughts and students without any such diagnoses also showed remarkable improvements.

“The Hidden Harm of Antidepressants”

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The Scientific American reports on an in-depth reanalysis revealing widespread underreporting of negative side effects, including suicide attempts and aggressive behavior. Article →

Therapy Recommended As First Line Treatment for Depression

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Following an extensive systematic review of treatments for major depression, the American College of Physicians (ACP) issued a recommendation to clinicians suggesting cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as a first-line treatment for major depressive disorder along with second-generation antidepressants. The results of the review revealed that CBT and antidepressants have similar levels of effectiveness but that antidepressants present serious side-effects and higher relapse rates.

Therapy Changes the Brain, Reduces Anxiety

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After undergoing a nine-week cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) treatment for social anxiety, patients show changes to both the physical structure of their brain and its activity, according to a new study published in Translational Psychiatry. The amygdala is most closely associated with the experience of fear and this study found that patients receiving CBT with reduced social anxiety had significant changes to this section of the brain.

“French Drug Trial had Three Major Failings”

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The drug trial that led to the death of one participant and brain damage to several others last month had three major shortcomings, according...

Antidepressants Linked to Dementia

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A study published in this month’s issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry found that the use of antidepressant drugs was associated with an...

“Schizophrenia Breakthrough” – Or a Case of Ignoring the Most Important Evidence?

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Last week, the headlines blared: "Schizophrenia breakthrough as genetic study reveals link to brain changes!"  We heard that our best hope for treating “schizophrenia” is to understand it at a genetic level, and that this new breakthrough would get us really started on that mission, as it showed how a genetic variation could lead to the more intense pruning of brain connections, which is often seen in those diagnosed with schizophrenia.  “For the first time, the origin of schizophrenia is no longer a complete black box,” said one (while admitting that "it's still early days").  The acting director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) described the study as “a crucial turning point in the fight against mental illness.” But is all this hype justified?

Editorial Takes On Conflicts of Interest and Propaganda in Psychiatry

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In a scathing editorial in this month’s Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Dr. Giovanni Fava takes aim at prominent medical experts who have downplayed the role...

Psychiatrist Asks Field to Drop Schizophrenia Classification

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Dutch psychiatrist and epidemiologist, Jim van Os, has renewed his call to drop schizophrenia as a disease classification. “Several recent papers by different authors...

“Study Gives Prozac to Fetuses With Down Syndrome”

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“A University of Texas Southwestern study will see if giving unborn babies with Down syndrome Prozac in the womb will help improve brain functioning"