The Rise of Solitary
From Dissent Magazine: In her recently published book 23/7: Pelican Bay Prison and the Rise of Long-Term Solitary Confinement, scholar and advocate Keramet Reiter discusses the...
The Therapist who Saved my Life
In this creative nonfiction piece for Literary Hub, one woman shares her story of trauma, depression, and suicidality, and recounts the unconventional approach of the...
Does Marijuana Make for Depressed Brains?
From U.S. News & World Report: While some medical marijuana advocates claim that certain strands of weed may help with depression, research on the effects of...
Married Individuals with Schizophrenia Show Better Outcomes, Study Finds
14-year study of a rural sample in China shows those who were married had higher rates of remission from schizophrenia.
Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?
From The Atlantic: The pattern of constant smartphone and social media use among post-Millennials may be leading to a public mental health crisis. Research shows that...
Death By Placebo
When people waste all their time and effort on futile attempts to fix fake chemical imbalances instead of addressing their real issues (since there supposedly are none), their issues will persist and build up. Hyping placebos to be miracle pills thus builds up false hopes, which sets a person up for big letdowns that can lead to suicide.
The Risk That Survives a Psych Ward Stay
From OZY: The suicide rate for former psychiatric inpatients is 44 times higher than that of the general population. According to Australian psychiatrist and professor Christopher Ryan,...
Part II: Michelle Starts Prozac and Sees the Devil
By 2011, anyone who read the scientific literature would have known that children cannot tolerate SSRIs and should not be given them. Neither Conrad nor Michelle seemed to have been warned about the common adverse effects (such as nightmares and compulsive suicidality) of the SSRI antidepressants they were on.
Humans are the Only Animals who Crave Oblivion Through Suicide
In this piece for Aeon, Nicholas Humphrey explores why humans are the only animals that experience suicidality as well as the impact of suicide on evolution.
"From the viewpoint...
New Hope for Depression
In this piece for TIME, Mandy Oaklander provides a comprehensive review of the current status of and potential future directions for the depression treatment industry. The...
Adam Maier-Clayton: Assisted Suicide and Mental Illness
If we describe “death with dignity” as a benefit, a good thing, a release and relief and a mercy for people with chronic unbearable and unmanageable pain, why do we also describe exclusions from assisted suicide for people with mental illness as a protection rather than discrimination?
Depression, Stigma, and our Toxic Culture
From Medium: Often after the suicide of a public figure, there is an increase in articles published attempting to destigmatize depression by categorizing it as...
Study Finds Mistreatment and Psychological Distress Among LGBT Prisoners in the US
The rate of incarceration for lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals is roughly three times that of the general population and they experience significantly higher rates of victimization and mistreatment in prison.
The FBI and Defense Department are Investigating UHS Hospitals
From BuzzFeed News: America's largest chain of psychiatric hospitals, United Health Services, is currently under investigation by at least three federal agencies including the FBI...
A Dribbling, Suicidal Mess – Until I Kicked the Pills
In this piece for The Sunday Times, Oliver Thring tells the story of Katinka Blackford Newman, a woman who became psychotic after taking antidepressants and...
Providers Fail to Report Information on Suicide Prevention Services
Researchers investigate services related to suicide prevention across mental health providers in England.
Teen Raising Awareness After Exercise Saved her Life
From Elite Daily: Courtney Lorking, an 18-year-old online wellness coach and fitness enthusiast, is speaking out and sharing her story of how exercise helped her...
Listening to, Rather Than Trying to Fix, My Suicidal Wife
From The Guardian: One man shares how listening to his wife when she experienced suicidality, rather than rushing to action or attempting to dissuade her...
Is There Institutional Racism in Mental Health Care?
From BBC News: Black people are overrepresented in the UK's mental health system and are at an increased risk of being forcibly committed, diagnosed with...
Three Suicides: Honoring Lives Lost to Benzodiazepines
I am still trying to reconcile what these chemicals are capable of, how the urge can morph into an action, how we maybe just don’t understand suicide all that well. For me, the suffering was so intense it was too painful to stay alive. I understand how my friends felt in their last moments.
When Calling the Police Results in Harm, Not Help
From Slate: The death of Charleena Lyles, who was shot by the police after she called them to report a burglary, serves as a reminder...
Researchers Find Brief Intervention for Preventing Self-Harm Ineffective
“These interventions also have the potential to increase rumination and negative affect, and potentially self-harm repetition, by serving as unhelpful reminders of negative experiences in the lead-up to the index self-harm event or during hospital treatment.”
What Transgender Actors can Teach Medical Residents
A new training program teaches medical residents how to provide appropriate care and services to transgender clients.
Families Sue Health Insurers to Cover Wilderness Therapy
From The Boston Globe: An increasing number of families are filing lawsuits against insurance companies that refuse to cover wilderness therapy for their children's mental...
Are Drug Companies Grooming New Customers in the Womb?
From The Baltimore Sun: Over time, studies have shown that antidepressants during pregnancy are linked with congenital defects as well as increased incidence of depression...