Researchers Challenge Interpretation of Antidepressant Meta-analysis

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Researchers question the overstated results of a large antidepressant meta-analysis and point to cultural pressures to turn to these drugs for a quick fix.

5 Steps to Personalize Deprescribing Practices

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Researchers identify simple ways for clinicians to begin deprescribing conversations.

Polypharmacy Associated with Cognitive Decline in Elderly Patients

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Study finds that elderly patients taking at least 5 medications were at increased risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia.

Better Outcomes Off Medication for Those Recovered from First-Episode Schizophrenia

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A new study has found that of 10 people who were fully recovered from their first episode of schizophrenia (FES), those not taking antipsychotics did better in terms of cognitive, social, and role functioning—and reached full recovery more quickly.

Study Links Antidepressants and Decreased Coping Behaviors Across Generations

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Biologists found that exposure to antidepressants suppresses important survival behaviors in zebrafish, an effect that persisted across three generations and was found to be more severe for males.

Researchers Push Back Against Recommendation to Combine Antidepressants for Suicide Prevention

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Researchers challenge the recommendation of starting two antidepressants simultaneously to increase preventative effects against suicide.

Antipsychotics Associated with High Risk of Death in Children

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A new study has found that children and adolescents taking a high dose of antipsychotics are almost twice as likely to die of any cause than children on other types of medications.

Claims That Long-term Antipsychotic Use Leads to Better Outcomes are Misleading, Researchers Argue

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Researchers reveal the limitations and misleading interpretations of two recent studies that claim to demonstrate that long-term antipsychotic use leads to better outcomes.

Researchers Ask, ‘Why Do Antidepressants Stop Working?’

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An international group of researchers, including several with financial ties to manufacturers of antidepressants, explore possible explanations for why long-term users of antidepressants become chronically depressed.

Increased Suicidality in Cymbalta Trial for Fibromyalgia in Teens

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A new as-yet-unpublished trial of duloxetine (Cymbalta) for fibromyalgia has presented more evidence of suicidal events in teens.

Benzodiazepine Prescriptions in Older Adults Used in Rural and Low Income Areas

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Benzodiazepine prescription practices may be in response to an epidemic of distress, rather than being used to treat specific mental health diagnoses.

Prazosin Ineffective for Preventing Suicidal Thoughts — May Worsen Nightmares

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A new study found that prazosin was associated with increased insomnia and nightmares, and did not reduce suicidal thoughts.

Researchers Warn of “Brain Atrophy” in Children Prescribed Antipsychotics

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Researchers discuss the evidence that antipsychotic medications may cause brain atrophy in children, whose brains are still developing.

New Study Explores Approaches to Discontinuing Antidepressants

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Psychiatrist and psychologist outline pharmacological and psychotherapeutic strategies for discontinuing antidepressants.

About 1 in 100 Children Treated with Ritalin Experience a Serious Adverse Event

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A recent Cochrane review has found that serious adverse events occur for about 1% of children and adolescents treated with Ritalin.

Gradual Tapering is Most Successful for Withdrawal from Antipsychotics

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Mixed-Methods study explores the experiences of antipsychotic discontinuation among service users.

Pooling Data May Hide Negative Outcomes for Antidepressants

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A new study, published in Psychological Medicine, found evidence for a specific type of publication bias distorting the evidence about antidepressant efficacy.

SNRIs Added to the List of Drugs with Potential Withdrawal Symptoms

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New research suggests that clinicians should exercise caution prescribing SNRIs as first-line treatment for mood and anxiety disorders.

Two-Thirds of Schizophrenia Patients Do Not Remit on Antipsychotics

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A new analysis of antipsychotic treatment of schizophrenia (published in Schizophrenia Bulletin) has found that two-thirds of patients treated this way do not experience symptom remission.

Systematic Review Finds Antidepressant Withdrawal Common and Potentially Long-lasting

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Prominent researchers conduct a review of antidepressant withdrawal incidence, duration, and severity. Results lead to call for new clinical guidelines.

Nonclinical Factors are Associated with Long-Term Benzodiazepine Use in Older Adults

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White race and size of initial prescription, along with poor sleep quality, are associated with long-term benzodiazepine use in older adults.

Reanalysis of STAR*D Study Suggests Overestimation of Antidepressant Efficacy

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Reanalysis of the original primary outcome measure in the STAR*D study suggests STAR*D findings inflate improvement on antidepressant medication and exclusion criteria in conventional clinical trials results in overestimation of antidepressant efficacy.

Rates of ADHD Diagnosis and Prescription of Stimulants Continue to Rise

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Two new articles find that rates of ADHD diagnosis and stimulant prescription continue to rise all over the world.

Antidepressant Use Climbs as Patients Find it Difficult to Discontinue

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Findings point to the role of withdrawal symptoms and prescriber practices in long-term antidepressant use.

New Review of Antipsychotics for Schizophrenia Questions Evidence for Long Term Use

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A systematic review of the limited research available on the long-term effects of antipsychotics finds fewer symptoms in those off of the drugs.