“Think Twice Before Calling the Cops on the Mentally Ill”
-A social worker explains why people should be more careful, if they believe it's a good idea to call the police to deal with someone who is disruptive.
World Health Organization “Opens the Doors Wide to Corporate Influence”
-Is the World Health Organization moving towards developing tighter ties with corporations through its new "Framework of Engagement with non-State Actors"?
Critical Responses Mount As Influential Medical Journal Downplays Conflicts of Interest
-The New England Journal of Medicine generated controversy by suggesting that concerns about conflict of interest in medicine and psychiatry are overblown.
Understanding the Psychology of Bad Science
-Nautilus explores the ideas of a psychologist who has been examining the minds behind the expanding proliferation of flawed science.
“How to Unlearn a Disease”
-Nautilus discusses some of the latest trends in "therapeutic" efforts to wipe out parts of people's memories or re-wire the networks in people's brains.
“How Extreme Isolation Warps the Mind”
-A BBC story explores the unusual states of consciousness and bizarre experiences that often happen to people who are locked in seclusion or otherwise isolated.
Tectonic Shift Towards “Precision” Psychiatry or Away from Scientific Credibility?
-Duncan Double critically evaluates a recent article by National Institute of Mental Health Director Thomas Insel about a "tectonic shift" towards "precision" psychiatry.
12% of Us Suffer from the Disorder of Healthy Eating?
-A researcher tells Psychiatry Advisor that 5-12% of the population has "orthorexia nervosa," the "disorder" of "obsessively" researching about and eating healthy foods.
“I Work in Mental Health But Colleagues Don’t Understand My Depression”
-An anonymous mental health nurse describes how struggling with her own depression has given her new insights into the state of mental health care.
Scottish Report: Poverty and Mental Health Strongly Linked
-People from Scotland's most deprived areas are more than three times as likely to be treated for mental illness than those in more affluent communities.
Does Substance Abuse Lead to Homelessness or Vice Versa?
-There seem to be no "causal" relationships between homelessness and substance abuse, argue three Australian researchers.
“The Second Brain in Our Gastrointestinal Systems”
-An excerpt from the book, The Good Gut: Taking Control of Your Weight, Your Mood and Your Long-Term Health.
When Thoughts and Actions Seem to Be Perilously Fused
-In Schizophrenia Bulletin, an anonymous writer describes becoming convinced that his thoughts and actions were dangerously fused together.
People Often “Hear Voices” While Reading
Many people "hear voices" of different kinds while reading -- what does this mean for research into auditory-verbal hallucinations?
Environmental Neurotoxins and Autism
-A discussion of some of the links that have been found between neurotoxins polluting the environment and higher risks of developing autistic symptoms.
A Review of Issues Surrounding Marijuana and Madness
-What does the balance of evidence say about the relationship between cannabis use and increased risk of psychotic reactions?
Using Psychodrama to Teach Psychotherapy
-Sharon Packer describes the therapeutic impacts of getting a patient to play multiple roles, presenting evidence to prove and disprove beliefs about himself and his experiences.
Psychology’s ‘Reproducibility Project’ Efforts Reporting In
-Nature News reports on the first wave of findings in the "crowd-sourced" effort to reproduce 100 of the most important studies in psychology.
Average Mental Health “Clinician” Earns Over $200k
-The average salary for psychiatrists and other mental health professionals is $216,000 per year, according to the Medscape Physician Compensation Report.
More Discussions of Whether Psychiatric Drugs Cause More Harm Than Good
-The debate on drug harms lands in the pages of the British Medical Journal and The Guardian.
“Does Artificial Food Coloring Contribute to ADHD in Children?”
-Scientific American reviews scientific understanding surrounding the apparent influences of common food colorings on hyperactivity in children.
“Breaking the Silence: How I Conquered Selective Mutism”
-Danica Cotov discusses her many and varied efforts to deal with selective mutism throughout her childhood and teen years.
What Do the OCTET Outpatient Committal Trials Really Tell Us?
-Two commentaries in The Lancet Psychiatry debate what the OCTET trials have shown about community treatment orders.
Lancet History of “Crank” Surgeries for Mental Diseases Includes Noteworthy Omission
-A history of "crank" psychosurgeries in The Lancet Psychiatry
Critics Attack Headline-making Marijuana-Psychosis Study
-James Coyne and others criticize a UK study for deliberately trying to be politically manipulative.
