RESEARCH NEWS

Summaries of research findings that tell of a scientific need to “rethink psychiatry.”

An archive of research reports on psychiatric drugs can also be found here. 

Psychedelic Therapy Research Marred by Methodological Concerns

1
Amidst a surge in interest in psychedelic-assisted therapy, a new critique highlights serious methodological flaws, urging for a reevaluation of how these studies are conducted and interpreted.

Screen Time Changes How Parents and Children Communicate

0
Exposure to screens at a young age can decrease communication from parents, stunting language learning and development.

Involuntary Treatment of the Unhoused is a Human Rights Violation

0
Anne Zimmerman argues that the US has a moral and legal obligation to provide housing and respect the human rights of the homeless.

Understanding the Risks of Psychotherapy: Study Takes a Closer Look at Adverse Events

5
A new review of reported adverse events in psychotherapy clinical trials reveals a lack of consistency in assessing harms, making it hard for service users to weigh risks and benefits.

Open-Door Psychiatric Wards Do Not Increase Coercive Practices or Violence

1
Service users in open-door inpatient psychiatric wards reported feeling more safe and less coercion than those in treatment-as-usual wards.

Antidepressant Use in Pregnancy Harms Child Development, Untreated Maternal Depression Shows Benefit

1
In this new study, exposure to maternal anxiety in utero also harmed child development.

Mood Disorder Handbooks Perpetuate Psychiatric Myths, Present Barriers to Systemic Thinking

1
A new study analyzing APA mood disorder handbooks reveals outdated narratives of depression continue to dominate.

Study Highlights Difficulty of Antipsychotic Withdrawal

0
New research finds insomnia, anxiety, and depression are common symptoms of antipsychotic withdrawal, highlighting difficulties of discontinuation.

Pharma-Funded Trials Biased Toward Positive Results for Industry

2
John Ioannidis reviewed the most highly cited clinical trials, revealing extent of pharma influence on science.

Decolonial Psychology: Unraveling the Impact of Historical Oppression on Mental Health

Researchers exploring the effects of colonial mentality call for a decolonial approach to psychology, beyond the confines of traditional medical models.

Structural Competency and Social Medicine to Transform Global Mental Health

0
Helena Hansen advocates for integrating U.S. structural competency with Latin American social medicine to reshape mental healthcare into a vehicle for social change and justice.

Watchful Waiting and Depathologization Effective First Line Approach to Depression

2
A new study highlights the benefits of a partial watchful waiting approach as a first-line treatment to non-suicidal depressive symptoms.

Common Side Effects Leading to Antidepressant Discontinuation

1
New research finds the negative drug effects most commonly associated with initiating antidepressant discontinuation are anxiety, suicidal thoughts, vomiting, and rashes.

Exercise Leads to Best Outcomes for Depression

1
New meta-analysis reveals that exercise beats antidepressants and CBT for depression.

Rethinking Psychosis: Nursing’s Role in Challenging Psychiatry’s Biological Paradigm

3
Nursing scholars explore the crisis in psychiatry's approach to psychosis and highlights the potential for mental health nurses to drive scientific revolution.

High Suicide Risk Looms After Depression Hospitalization

0
Study finds alarming spike in suicide risk immediately following hospitalization, urging reforms in mental health care practices.

Challenging the Empty Metaphors of the “Chemical Imbalance” Myth

0
Janis H. Jenkins uncovers the cultural dynamics shaping perceptions of mental health treatments, challenging the oversimplified concept of a "chemical imbalance" in psychiatric discourse.

Antidepressant Use Linked to Sexual Dysfunction, Why Aren’t Prescribers Discussing It?

1
Research sheds light on the impact of antidepressants on sexual dysfunction, emphasizing the need for patient-physician communication.

Antidepressant Use Tightly Correlates with Increased Suicide Rates

4
While the study can’t confirm causality, it does contradict the notion that antidepressants reduce suicide at the population level.

From Individual to Society: New Insights on Mental Health Care’s Role in Social Justice

0
A new study from Brazil challenges conventional mental health practices, advocating for socially sensitive therapy to empower individuals and address systemic inequities.

From Convenience to Concern: Ethical Quandaries in Mental Health Apps

0
A new study unveils the hidden ethical challenges in the burgeoning world of consumer mental health apps, questioning their efficacy and privacy measures.

How Critical Psychology Can Empower the Neurodiversity Movement

5
A new article sheds light on the crucial intersection of critical psychology and the neurodiversity movement, advocating for the inclusion of autistic voices in mainstream psychology.

Treating Eating Disorders Involves Shifting ‘Eating Disorder Voice’

1
Research finds that the 'eating disorder voice' decreases in severity, malevolence and omnipotence through treatment.

Psychotherapy Without Antidepressants Shows Best Results for Depression

25
New study finds psychotherapy alone to be the best first-line intervention option to mitigate the risk of suicide attempts and other serious psychiatric adverse events.

Global Study Questions Antidepressant Use, Points to Social Determinants of Mental Health

8
A new cross-national study questions the effectiveness of antidepressants, highlighting the crucial role of social and economic factors in addressing global mental health challenges.

Challenging Schizophrenia Narratives in Psychology Textbooks

2
Analysis of introductory psychology textbooks reveals the construction of harmful discourses for people diagnosed with schizophrenia.

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

5
A new review finds a lack of available guidance on how to effectively monitor adverse effects of antipsychotic drug clozapine.

Psychiatric Assessments Impacted by Gender, Ethnicity, Socioeconomic Status, Study Finds

1
Clinician biases in psychiatric assessments lead to different treatment recommendations for people with identical symptoms.

For Suicide, Hospitalization May Harm Just as Much as It Helps

12
Hospitalization did not reduce a person’s risk of fatal or nonfatal suicide attempts in the next year.

A Truce in the Therapy Wars? CBT and Psychodynamic Therapy Found Equally Effective

A comprehensive study disrupts the 'therapy wars,' demonstrating that psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral therapies offer similar outcomes in depression treatment.
African american soldier lady wearing uniform lying on couch and explaining her problems to female psychotherapist during meeting in office, young black military lady having therapy session

New Study Challenges DSM’s View on Trauma, Highlights Impact of Social Discrimination

15
Researchers develop a scale to measure trauma from sexism, racism, and cisheterosexism, revealing significant links to posttraumatic stress and challenging the DSM's limited view on trauma.

Racial Bias in Arrests for Mental Health Symptoms

2
An eye-opening study indicates that Black Americans with mental health symptoms are more likely to face arrest than White Americans, suggesting systemic racism in criminal justice responses.

One in Three Report Side Effects from Psychodynamic and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

10
New study reveals 33.2% of therapy patients experience side effects, including strained family relations and symptom deterioration.

ACT May Help Reduce Relapse in Psychosis

5
While both ACT and treatment as usual reduced psychotic symptoms, only ACT reduced rehospitalization and psychological distress.
Isolated revolving door entrance with group of people

The Revolving Door of Mental Illness: Unveiling the Limitations of Current Psychiatric Approaches

44
Mental health treatments fall short, fail to prevent 'revolving door' effect, study suggests.
3D illustration of a matrix with tablets and the words risks and benefits. Concept of clinical trials results

Two Out of Three Find Antidepressant Effects Not Worth Burdens

1
New study reveals: 2 in 3 people need more than the current antidepressant benefits to consider them worthwhile.
Pattern of blue and yellow pills or tablets on a pink background. concept of medicine, pharmacy and coronavirus. copy space

SSRI Withdrawal has Social, Cognitive, and Emotional Consequences

0
New research finds that the non-physical aspects of withdrawal from SSRIs are often overlooked.

Critical Social Media Literacy Protects Emerging Adults

1
Can learning the media literacy skills to both deconstruct and create social media protect against the negative mental health impacts?

Ketamine Fails to Beat Placebo for PTSD in New Analysis

6
Ketamine researchers: “Placebo is the likely mechanism behind reported therapeutic effects.”
Campfire burning near tourist illuminated tent. Night camping in mountains under starry sky and Milky way. Silhouette of big tree and distant hills on background. Tourism, outdoor activity concept

Embracing the Healing Potential of Natural Darkness in Ecotherapy

6
This study explored the profound impacts of ecotherapy using natural darkness on mental well-being and connection to the environment for participants of overnight recollective practices.

Psy-Disciplines as Gatekeeper: A History of Gender-Affirming Care

1
A new article critically examines the institutionalization of the psy disciplines as the authority to construct normative, and often pathologizing, accounts of trans life.

Confronting the Harms in Psychological Approaches to Treating Psychosis

4
In a new article, Emily Treichler and Nev Jones discuss the harms faced by people with psychosis in psychological interventions.

ADHD Drug Prescriptions Increased Significantly During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2
People between the ages of 20-39 and women saw the largest increase in ADHD drug prescriptions.
Closeup on money being handed to a doctor

Millions of Dollars of Pharma Money Went to the DSM-5-TR Authors

12
About 60% of the authors had financial ties to industry, which are not disclosed in the DSM. Studies show that conflicts of interest lead to pro-industry decision-making.
(INT) Gaza feels sad after an explosion killed people near the Israeli border. September 14, 2023, Gaza, Palestine: Gazans are mourning a great loss as thousands gathered to bid farewell to the victims of the explosion that occurred in the Malka area, east of Gaza City. The Ministry of Health issued a statement confirming the tragic incident, and reporting the death of five individuals and the injury of 25 others, some of whom are in critical condition. The explosion was caused by a suspicious device that exploded in Malka camp, east of Gaza. The victims whose names were published by the Ministry are: Baraa Al-Zard, Muhammad Qaddum, and Ali Ayyad. While their names echoed in the streets of Gaza, their sudden passing left a deep scar in the hearts of Gazans, who gathered to offer condolences and support to the bereaved families. Credit: Hashem Zimmo/Thenews2 (Foto: Hashem Zimmo/Thenews2/Deposit Photos)

In Gaza, Focus on Symptoms of “Mental Illness” Obscures Structural Violence and Oppression

22
Mental health providers in Gaza explain the root causes of the Palestinian mental health crisis.

Screen Time and Media Content Impact Mental Health in Kindergarten

2
Excessive screen time is detrimental to kids’ mental health, and a new study finds that media content may be a contributing factor.

Psychiatry Pathologizes Black Political Protest Leading to Race-based Overdiagnosis of Schizophrenia

4
The overdiagnosis of schizophrenia in Black Americans goes beyond issues of clinician bias and is linked to larger social and political factors.
silhouette hand holding on iron net cage with blue sky and city background sunset

Asylum Process Produces High Levels of Distress, Impacts Mental Health

0
In the UK and EU, seeking asylum negatively impacts mental health and exacerbates distress.
Guided imagery as dream, thoughts and mind control tiny person concept. Calm relaxation method with psychological self therapy vector illustration. Emotional recreation and depression stress reduction

Voice Hearing Experiences Change After Imagery Rescripting

A study led by Laura Strachan explored how imagery rescripting (ImRs) helps people understand and cope with trauma-related auditory hallucinations.

Integrating Lived Experience: How the PROMISE Project is Reshaping Mental Health Research and Psychosis...

4
This research incorporates the insights of people with psychosocial disabilities into mental health care in Malawi.