Study Highlights Difficulty of Antipsychotic Withdrawal

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New research finds insomnia, anxiety, and depression are common symptoms of antipsychotic withdrawal, highlighting difficulties of discontinuation.

Despite Safety Risks, Prescribers Receive Little Guidance of Monitoring Antipsychotic Clozapine

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A new review finds a lack of available guidance on how to effectively monitor adverse effects of antipsychotic drug clozapine.
Young man refusing to take prescribed pills in clinic

Antipsychotics Lead to Worse Outcomes in First-Episode Psychosis

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Those who did not get antipsychotics in the first month were almost twice as likely to be in recovery after five years.
Illustration of man sitting on a red and white pill. He holds his head with pain symbols in the air above him.

Adding Antipsychotics Worsens Outcomes in Psychotic Depression

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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.
Letter blocks spelling "CANCER" and spilled pills in various colors on a white background

Cancer Risk Higher for Those on Clozapine

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

Breaking Blind: Antipsychotic Drug Efficacy May Be Overestimated

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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.

Industry Corruption in Systematic Review for Injectable Antipsychotics

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Researchers highlight how systematic reviews are compromised by pharmaceutical industry ties by exposing a study of injectable antipsychotics.

Many Service Users Interested in Decreasing Antipsychotic Use with Professional Help

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New research examines service user attitudes on discontinuing and reducing antipsychotic drugs.

Antipsychotics Often Prescribed Without Informed Consent

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New research reveals that patients are often not given fully informed consent before being prescribed antipsychotics.

Antipsychotics Worsen Cognitive Functioning in First-Episode Psychosis

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Withholding antipsychotics may be beneficial for memory, the researchers write.

Manufacturer of Tardive Dyskinesia (TD) Drugs Finds TD Emotionally Devastating

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“Patients expressed feeling unaccepted by society or uncomfortable in their own skin… A few indicated that they would rather be dead than have tardive dyskinesia.”

Antipsychotics Linked to Increased Breast Cancer Risk

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Long-term exposure to prolactin-increasing antipsychotics increases the odds of developing breast cancer.

New Rating Tool for Tapering Antidepressants and Antipsychotics

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Researchers developed a rating scale to better assess service users’ experiences tapering antidepressant and/or antipsychotic medication.

Antipsychotics Increase Risk of Dementia; New Research Illuminates Why

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In JAMA psychiatry, researchers outline new theories connecting antipsychotic use in people with schizophrenia and increased dementia risk.

Tapered Antipsychotic Withdrawal Mitigates Risk of Psychotic Symptoms

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Research suggests that slowly tapering off an antipsychotic reduces the risk of withdrawal psychosis compared to abrupt discontinuation.

Sudden Antipsychotic Withdrawal—Not Low Dose—Leads to Relapse

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A new article in Lancet Psychiatry debunks past studies claiming that those on low doses of antipsychotics are more likely to relapse.

Antipsychotic Adherence Research Overlooks Key Information

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Researchers argue for a shift away from a focus on antipsychotic adherence toward understanding service users’ diverse patterns of use.
Question mark inside a maze in the shape of human head.

New Study: The Clinical High Risk for Psychosis (CHR-P) Model Is Flawed

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The CHR-P model focuses on “attenuated psychosis” to predict “transition” to schizophrenia and ignores other factors. But new research shows that the model is a poor predictor.
Doctor and patient

Barriers to Shared Decision Making in the Prescription of Antipsychotics

Researchers push for a renewed focus on true shared decision-making for patients diagnosed with psychosis.

Anticholinergic Medications Linked to Cognitive Impairment in Schizophrenia

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Researchers have found further evidence that the anticholinergic effect of psychiatric drugs can lead to cognitive impairments.

Keys to Successful Discontinuation of Antipsychotic Medication

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Qualitative study finds that both internal resources and systemic factors play a role in antipsychotic discontinuation outcomes.

The BBC, Harrow, and a Public Left in the Dark

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The recent report by the BBC on medication-free treatment in Norway, when viewed in conjunction with the media silence on Martin Harrow's latest publication, reveals why the public remains misinformed about the long-term effects of antipsychotics.

Recovery Rate Six Times Higher For Those Who Stop Antipsychotics Within Two Years

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People with "serious mental illness" who stop taking antipsychotics are more likely to recover, even when accounting for baseline severity.

A Short History of Tardive Dyskinesia: 65 Years of Drug-Induced Brain Damage That Rolls...

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Psychiatry has long turned a blind eye to the full scope of harm associated with TD. New TD drugs "work" by further impairing brain function.

The Latest “Breakthrough Therapy”: Expensive New Drugs for Tardive Dyskinesia

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The increased prescribing of antipsychotics, which frequently cause a brain injury that manifests as tardive dyskinesia, has provided pharmaceutical companies with a lucrative new market opportunity.