The Editorial by Looi and colleagues provided a one-sided view of the need to consider deprescribing antidepressants in Australia. They overlooked clear evidence that at least a third of patients no longer meet criteria for ongoing use of antidepressants – this would mean a million people in Australia. They minimised the harms of antidepressants and
Reflections on recent bills for discussion in the Italian Parliament, on the current psychiatrisation of society and on possible remedies By Pino Pini, 11 August 2024. In the current 2024 bills on mental health, presented by various political forces, there is a clear emphasis on the clinical aspects linked to new diagnoses and, at times,
By DUNCAN DOUBLE Tony Kendrick, who I have mentioned before (see eg. previous post) is the first author of a paper about antidepressant withdrawal in general practice. It found that more than 40% of patients could discontinue their antidepressant treatment in a clinical trial, comparing whether adding internet and telephone support to family practitioner review
By DUNCAN DOUBLE Mainstream psychiatry has minimised the significance of antidepressant withdrawal, as I first pointed out in a BMJ letter in 1997. My complaint then was that the Defeat Depression Campaign, launched in January 1992 by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in association with the Royal College of General Practitioners, advocated educating patients and
By MARK HOROWITZ On the neuroplasticity hypothesis of antidepressant action – I worked in a neurogenesis laboratory for 4 years and completed my PhD partly on this topic (For SSRIs). We treated human hippocampal stem cells with different combinations of chemicals and looked for neurogenesis with cell markers. One of the things that happened often
In this talk, Prof Joanna Moncrieff (University College London) looks at the evidence behind some common myths relating to psychosis and ‘antipsychotic’ drugs: the idea that psychosis or ‘schizophrenia’ are neurodegenerative conditions; the concept of the ‘untreated duration of psychosis’ and whether early drug treatment produces better outcomes; the famous dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia; the
By PINO PINI, Psychiatrist in Italy and the United Kingdom, MHE board member. Reflections on occasion of two Hearing Voices events. In my professional experience I have witnessed various significant moments in the mental health sector. Below are some reflections on my relationship with the voice-hearing movement inspired by the work of Marius Romme, and
// By Duncan Double // Rach Idahu has a blog ‘Adulting with ADHD’. BBC News reports that she told BBC Podcast ‘Access All’ that she lost £200 when she late checked in for a flight, even though she did not realise she was late (see article). The article explains that Rach estimates she has lost
We are pleased to announce this second instalment of the International Institute for Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal conference series. If you are interested to join, please register at Eventbrite (click on the image above or follow this link: https://withdrawal-from-psychiatric-drugs-2.eventbrite.co.uk ). A detailed programme can be viewed (and downloaded) below: