Science of Psychiatric Drugs

Outcomes were worse for all, with young people on combination therapy twice as likely to experience rehospitalization or death by suicide than those on antidepressants alone.

The published literature is misleading, as the negative Xanax trials either went unpublished or were spun to appear positive.

Researchers found that rats born to mothers given the antidepressant Prozac during pregnancy or breastfeeding exhibited varied behavioral and developmental effects, with implications for the understanding of antidepressant impacts during human pregnancies.

Study reveals schizophrenia patients find little support from mental health staff in reducing side effects-heavy drugs.

Reduced brain volumes due to SSRI exposure in pregnancy was not explained by maternal depression alone.

Selective publication bias in top psychiatry journals was not explained by the quality of the studies, but by financial ties to pharma.

Researchers find that SSRIs increase suicide attempts up to age 24, and have no preventative effect at any age, even for those at high risk of suicide.

For those with severe depression, inpatient CBT was effective but the adding antidepressants did not improve treatment outcomes.

The initial study, which has been used to promote antidepressants, employed outcome switching to hide poor results.

Response and remission rates were the same in the drug versus placebo groups, and Lexapro increased suicidality sixfold.

Antidepressant users share their frustrations towards a healthcare system that overprescribes but is ill-equipped to support with discontinuation and withdrawal symptoms.

Researchers find that adverse effects often last over a year, with many users experiencing substantial life changes.

In a study of people with borderline personality disorder, only ADHD stimulants were associated with a decrease in suicide.

Moncrieff et al. respond to the contradictory and, in some cases, false concerns raised by these critics of their serotonin review.

The antipsychotic clozapine, considered the “gold-standard” treatment for psychosis, was found to increase the risk of blood and lymph system cancers.

Genetic testing may help reduce the length of time people experience the harmful effects of antidepressant drugs, but it is not helpful for predicting efficacy.

World Psychiatry article challenges conventional antidepressant prescription practices.

A new Cochrane review details the lack of evidence for antidepressants in the treatment of chronic pain.

New research by Jim van Os and Peter Groot finds that using hyperbolic tapering to discontinue antidepressants reduces withdrawal effects.

Males taking antidepressants were at 100 times the risk of erectile dysfunction compared with the healthy population and more than three times the risk even after controlling for other variables.

Only 4 of 188 antipsychotic trials assessed blinding, and in all 4 cases, the blind was broken, potentially leading to an overestimation of the drug effect.

Study reveals most patients are dissatisfied with prescribers' support when discontinuing antidepressants.

New study finds polypharmacy for 73% of older adults on antidepressants, with 56% at risk of harmful drug interactions.

New guidance for primary care doctors in the UK on antidepressant discontinuation acknowledges severe and long-lasting withdrawal symptoms.

Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD) may be a common adverse effect of antidepressants. Researchers are now attempting to understand the neurobiology behind it.