Junk Science Hits Front Page Headlines: Most Americans Will Be Mentally Ill at Some Point – NIMH / Harvard Study Says Tue, 7 Jun 2005 Americans may be astonished to learn that $20 million in taxpayers’ money was spent on a study whose unacknowledged purpose is to increase the use…
Petition FDA to Investigate if SSRI Induced School Shootings Fri, 25 Mar 2005 The Minnesota shooting rampage by 16-year old Jeff Weise, prompted the parent organization, Ablechild.org, to petition the FDA to conduct “a full investigation into the possible SSRI induced school shootings.” “It took 15 years for the FDA…
Use of combinations of antipsychotics–Harms Patients: McLean & Leipzig Wed, 21 Sep 2005 Two additional studies provide additional evidence (coffin nails) demonstrating how psychiatry’s marriage of convenience gave birth to rotten fruit: specifically, under the influence of pharmaceutical companies, psychiatry plunged irresponsibly into practicing polypsychoparmacology. The evidence from these studies…
Columbia Journalism Review–The Complicity of the Media in Drug Marketing Wed, 27 Jul 2005 An excellent article in the Columbia Journalism Review examines pharmaceutical industry hype and the media’s role in helping that industry create false impressions about the safety and benefits of newly marketed drugs: “stories trumpeting new drugs…
Linguistic Tinkering with Regulatory Terminology Increases Risk of Harm for Children: "minimal risk" "minor increment of minimal risk" and "disorder or condition" January 28, 2001 A cornerstone of the Declaration of Helsinki (adopted by the World Medical Association in 1964, and reaffirmed on Oct. 2000) is the distinction between research…
4 compelling reasons against Mental Health Parity Fri, 12 Sep 2003 Compelling reasons NOT to approve insurance parity for mental health services come from the following recent reports suggesting that mental health services and treatments have often done more damage than good. Until psychiatry and mental health service providers develop…
Two-thirds foster care children in Mass on psych drugs_Globe Psychiatry: Soviet Experience–American Fallacy Wed, 11 Aug 2004 The Boston Globe reports that 2/3 of children in state care in Massachusetts are being “treated” for mental illness with psychotropic drugs. Marie Parente, a legislator, and parents call for disclosure of “how…
Schizophrenia drugs increase diabetes risk Fri, 29 Aug 2003 A large scale study by the Veterans Administration corroborates a body of evidence demonstrating that the much touted “improved” newer drugs for the treatment of schizophrenia–Zyprexa, Risperdal, Seroquesl– are precipitating the onset of diabetes at alarming rates– especially among younger patients….
Antidepressant Makers Withhold Data on Children – Washington Post Thu, 29 Jan 2004 A front page article in The Washington Post addresses the key issue undermining public health and safety. Drug companies conceal unfavorable clinical trial findings: the tests failed to demonstrate that antidepressants are either safe or beneficial for…
GlaxoSmithKline CEO: “We had to absorb a number of hits” Mon, 16 Feb 2004 Antidepressant drug safety issues are beginning to have a financial impact. Dow Jones reports: “GlaxoSmithKline PLC said its net income fell 6% in the fourth quarter, hurt by previously announced legal costs related to its anti-inflammatory…
SAMHSA Backs Away From TeenScreen & TMAP Mon, 24 Oct 2005 On October 17, a meeting took place with Charles Currie in Washington DC – with some in attendance by conference call. Currie is the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the federal agency charged…
“The scariest thing is that nobody knows” risks of depression drugs for children Mon, 10 May 2004 Forest Laboratories, manufacturer of the antidepressant, Celexa / Lexapro, is the latest manufacturer to issue warnings (April 2004) about the possibility that “patients with major depressive disorder, both adult and pediatric, may experience…
