Research News

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

Mental Health and Emotion in the Digital Age: An Interview with Ian Tucker

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MIA's Tim Beck interviews psychologist Ian Tucker about the relationships between digital technologies, emotion, and mental health.

For People “At Risk for Psychosis,” Antipsychotics Associated with Worse Outcomes

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Researchers studied whether antipsychotics could prevent transition to full psychosis and found that the drugs worsened outcomes.

Randomized Controlled Trial Confirms That Antipsychotics Damage the Brain

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A new study published in JAMA Psychiatry connects antipsychotics with damage to the brain in multiple areas.

Bridging Critical and Conceptual Psychiatry: An Interview with Awais Aftab

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MIA’s Justin Karter interviews psychiatrist Awais Aftab about how “conceptual competence” uses philosophy to transform psychiatry.

Youth Antidepressant Use Associated With Increased Suicide and Self-Harm

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National data on rates of youth antidepressant prescription, suicide, and self-harm in Australia sparks public health debate about drug safety.

Study Finds SSRIs Associated with Increased Risk for Violent Crime

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Study finds an apparent connection between SSRIs, the most commonly prescribed type of antidepressant, and increased risk of violent crime.

JAMA Psychiatry Retracts Antidepressant Study

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Once an appropriate statistical method was used, the study findings were “no longer valid,” according to the editors of JAMA and JAMA Psychiatry.

Exercise for Youth Mental Health in the Lockdown: Interview with Psychologist Scott Greenspan

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School Psychologist Scott Greenspan discusses how to promote exercise and mental wellbeing for adolescents stuck indoors during the pandemic.

Review Documents Severe Withdrawal Effects of Psychiatric Drugs

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Researchers find that most psychiatric drugs cause severe withdrawal despite attempt s to gradually decrease the dosage.

New Analysis: Antidepressants Still Linked to Suicide

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“This is remarkable for drugs that are used to treat depressive symptoms,” write the researchers.

Bringing Human Rights to Mental Health Care: An Interview with UN Envoy Dainius Pūras

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MIA's Ana Florence interviews United Nations Special Rapporteur Dainius Pūras about his own journey as a psychiatrist and the future of rights-based approaches to mental health.

New Algorithms Fail to Predict Antidepressant Treatment Outcomes

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Researchers suggest that because most antidepressant “success” is due to the placebo effect, they may never find a way to predict outcomes.

No Good Evidence That Antidepressants Prevent Relapse

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Trials of antidepressants for relapse prevention are confounded by withdrawal effects caused by the drugs.

When Psychology Speaks for You, Without You: Sunil Bhatia on Decolonizing Psychology

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MIA’s Ayurdhi Dhar interviews Sunil Bhatia about decolonizing psychology, confronting the field’s racist past, colonial foundations, and neoliberal present.

Neuropsychological Tests Reveal Consequences of Polypharmacy

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Neuropsychological assessments reveal the cognitive, occupational, and social impact of polypharmacy in psychiatry.

Antidepressant Misinformation Promoted on Popular Websites

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A new study indicates that popular online resources do not accurately present the scientific evidence on the risks and benefits of antidepressants.

Where Western Medicine Meets Indigenous Healing: An Interview with Anthropologist Ian Puppe

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MIA's Micah Ingle interviews the anthropologist Ian Puppe on how the imposition of psychiatric treatments can lead to harmful iatrogenic effects with Indigenous peoples.

Antipsychotic Trials Show Increasing Placebo Response and Declining Drug Response

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A new review of antipsychotic trials conducted over the last 24 years finds that the placebo response rate is steadily increasing, and drug response is decreasing.

Antidepressant Use Continues to Climb Among Youth on Medicaid

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New study finds that Medicaid enrolled youth were 14 times more likely to be on an antidepressant in 2014 than in 1987.

Researchers Find Paroxetine Harms Developing Brain

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Researchers at Johns Hopkins test paroxetine on developing brain cells and discover numerous neurotoxic effects.

Does Longer Duration of Untreated Psychosis Cause Worse Outcomes?

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New research counters the long-held assumption that a longer duration of untreated psychosis is associated with worse outcomes.

Benzodiazepines Linked to More Emergency Department Visits

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Recent research implicates benzodiazepines as being involved in a high rate of emergency department visits in the US.

Suicide Warning on Antidepressant Label is Justified, Researchers Say

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Researchers confirm that the suicide warning for antidepressants is justified by the evidence and that claims that the warning is harmful lack support.

Largest Survey of Antipsychotic Experiences Reveals Negative Results

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A new survey exploring antipsychotic user experience finds that more than half of the participants report only negative experiences.

Review Explores First-Person Experiences of People Taking Antipsychotics

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A new systematic review finds that patients report reduced symptoms but also loss of self and agency while taking antipsychotics.