Mad in America: Science News
30 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsA monthly summary of newly published research findings in psychiatry, psychology and mental health. Presented by Mad in America's Peter Simons.
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Episodes
Science News: No Link Between Serotonin and Depression - What Does That Mean for Antidepressants?
August 04, 2022 09:59 - 31 minutes - 37.6 MBIn this 30-minute podcast, Peter Simons reports on the latest scientific articles in psychiatry. The goal is to provide more detail than is usually found in conventional research news and to help listeners understand how to interpret the findings. This month, Peter Simons covers in detail a new systematic review that debunks the widely popularized myth of low serotonin in depression, the “chemical imbalance theory.” He then follows up with a study that found less than 25% of people respond...
Science News: Pharma Corruption, Dangers of Antidepressants, And More
June 02, 2022 08:37 - 31 minutes - 37.9 MBIn this 30-minute podcast, Peter Simons reports on the latest scientific articles in psychiatry. The goal is to provide more detail than is usually found in conventional research news and to help listeners understand how to interpret the findings. Articles covered in this podcast include: How the mental health app Cerebral is facing accusations of dangerous and unethical practices; How Biogen withdrew its European application for failed Alzheimer’s drug aducanumab; How pharma comp...
Science News: Psychology: Flawed as a Science and as Evidence-Based Medicine
May 05, 2022 13:48 - 32 minutes - 39.1 MBIn this 30-minute podcast, Peter Simons reports on the latest scientific articles in psychiatry. The goal is to provide more detail than is usually found in conventional research news and to help listeners understand how to interpret the findings. Articles covered in this podcast include: Researchers write that “psychology is fundamentally incompatible with hypothesis-driven theoretical science”; Researchers suggest that “evidence-based medicine” is more corporate gimmick than reliabl...
Science News: Brain Imaging Results False; Unpublished and Missing Trials; Why Meditation May Not Work for You
April 07, 2022 07:00 - 27 minutes - 31.5 MBPeter Simons covers a study in Nature finding that the positive results of psychiatry’s brain imaging studies are false; a study demonstrating that more than half of negative antidepressant trials remain unpublished or are misleadingly “spun” as positive; an article that may explain why some people don’t find meditation to be helpful; and more! Nature: Brain Imaging Studies Are Most Likely False Negative Antidepressant Trials Still Unlikely to Be Published Did Pharma Companies Hide Fa...
Science News: How Effective Are Therapy and Medication, and What Do They Treat?
March 03, 2022 09:04 - 29 minutes - 35.2 MBPeter Simons covers a study that found both therapy and medication to have very limited effectiveness; an article suggesting that general practitioners need to prescribe fewer antidepressants; a study that concluded no brain imaging test has been able to identify a meaningful brain difference in depression; and more! Major Review Finds Limited Effectiveness for Medication and Therapy Family Physicians Must Change Antidepressant Prescribing Practices SSRI Antidepressants Do Not Impr...
Science News: Lithium, Antidepressants, Esketamine—All No Better Than Placebo?
February 10, 2022 10:27 - 32 minutes - 37 MBPeter Simons covers a clinical trial that found lithium ineffective at preventing suicide attempts, an essay by Allen Frances on the overdiagnosis of depression and overprescription of antidepressants, a review of the ineffectiveness and dangers of antidepressants, and an analysis that revealed that esketamine failed five of its six clinical trials. Lithium No Better Than Placebo for Preventing Suicide Attempts New Review: Antidepressants Come with Minimal Benefits, Several Risks Al...
Science News: Unscientific Diagnoses Medicalize Normal Human Experiences
January 05, 2022 08:00 - 32 minutes - 38.7 MBPeter Simons covers articles about the validity of psychiatric diagnoses, the medicalization of normal human experiences like grief, and how the pharmaceutical industry co-opts feminist messaging to gain approval for ineffective drugs. Kenneth Kendler: “Implausible” That Psychiatric Diagnoses Even “Approximately True” Neurobiological Explanations Can Foreclose Self-Understanding Medicalizing Grief May Threaten Our Ability to Mourn Research Reveals Mental Health Professionals’ Pa...
Science News: Antidepressant Research - Placebos and Withdrawal
November 23, 2021 10:38 - 11 minutes - 15 MBThis week, Peter Simons covers a study about the controversial practice of placebo run-in periods in antidepressant studies, a study about withdrawal symptoms being mistaken for relapse, and a book chapter that addresses stigma and discrimination. Researchers Push to End Placebo Run-in Periods in Antidepressant Studies Withdrawal Symptoms Cloud Findings of Antidepressant “Relapse” Trial Experiences of Prejudice and Discrimination in Mental Healthcare
Science News: Reducing Stigma/Psychotherapy for Depression in Children
November 09, 2021 19:38 - 9 minutes - 12.1 MBThis week, Peter Simons covers studies examining whether mental health literacy and essentialist thinking are associated with stigma against those with mental health problems. He also covers a study finding that psychotherapy is ineffective for the majority of children with depression. Mental Health Literacy Does Not Reduce Stigma, Psychosocial Approaches More Promising Essentialist Thinking May Drive Stigma Against People Diagnosed with Schizophrenia Meta-analysis of Psychotherapy...
Science News: Antipsychotics and Cancer, Screening for Depression, and Alzheimer's Drug Controversy
October 26, 2021 13:06 - 16 minutes - 20.3 MBThis week, Peter Simons covers a study that found prolactin-increasing antipsychotics associated with increased breast cancer risk, an analysis that found no convincing evidence that screening for depression improves outcomes, and the continuing controversy around the FDA's approval of Biogen's failed Alzheimer's drug aducanumab. Antipsychotics Linked to Increased Breast Cancer Risk Screening for Depression in Primary Care Does Not Improve Outcomes Alzheimer’s Drug Controversy Cont...
Science News: Antipsychotics and Dementia, Antidepressant Effects on Serotonin
October 05, 2021 09:24 - 11 minutes - 14.4 MBThis week, Peter Simons covers studies on the biological mechanism behind antipsychotic drugs' association with dementia; surprising brain imaging findings with implications for antidepressant effectiveness; bias in the psychotherapy literature; and the trauma caused by involuntary treatment of people with psychosis. Antipsychotics Increase Risk of Dementia; New Research Illuminates Why Antidepressant Effects on Serotonin Plateau at the Minimum Recommended Dose Selective Reporting Inf...
Science News: Conflicts of Interest Create Biased Medical Research
September 21, 2021 15:43 - 11 minutes - 14.9 MBThis week, Peter Simons covers three studies about financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry in editorial and commentary writers in medical journals. These conflicts of interest create biased research literature that helps pharma push potentially harmful and less effective drugs. Conflicts of Interest Linked to“Unduly Favorable” Editorials Conflicts of Interest in Medical Commentaries Undermine Credibility of Major Journals How Pharma Pushes New, Less Effective Drugs on the M...
Science News: Industry Influence on Drug Regulators
September 14, 2021 09:42 - 9 minutes - 12.3 MBThis week, Peter Simons covers two articles about the pharmaceutical industry's influence on drug regulators, and an article finding that newborn babies experience antidepressant withdrawal if their mothers took SSRIs while pregnant. 75% of Pharma Companies Fail Basic Transparency Measures How to Address the Undermining of Drug Regulators by Pharma Newborn Babies Go Through Antidepressant Withdrawal
Science News: Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal, Not Relapse
September 07, 2021 10:31 - 10 minutes - 13.6 MBThis week, Peter Simons covers three new articles which suggest that “relapse” in the drug trials for both antidepressants and antipsychotics is likely caused by sudden withdrawal. This contradicts the notion that the drugs have protective effects against relapse. “Relapse” in Antidepressant Trials Likely Caused by Sudden Withdrawal Sudden Antipsychotic Withdrawal—Not Low Dose—Leads to Relapse Tapered Antipsychotic Withdrawal Mitigates Risk of Psychotic Symptoms
Science News: Biogen and the FDA
August 31, 2021 10:46 - 9 minutes - 22.6 MBThis week, Peter Simons covers a BMJ investigation that found the FDA's "accelerated approval" process has left ineffective drugs on the market, some for more than 20 years, without follow-up studies to demonstrate efficacy. He also covers further developments in the FDA and Biogen controversy around Alzheimer's drug aducanumab (Aduhelm). FDA’s “Accelerated Approval” Process Leaves Ineffective Drugs on the Market Do we all have Alzheimer’s? Drug makers might want you to think so Bio...
Science News: Fraudulent Health Research
August 24, 2021 13:18 - 10 minutes - 13.8 MBThis week, Peter Simons covers a BMJ story that concluded 20% of health research is fraudulent, as well as a Lancet Psychiatry piece that critiques the research on long-acting injectable antipsychotics and debunks the claim that they are better than regular oral antipsychotics. BMJ: 20% of Health Research Is Fraudulent Researchers Debate Benefits of Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics
Science News: Two Critiques of Psychiatry's Medical Model
August 04, 2021 15:11 - 10 minutes - 13.9 MBThis week, Peter Simons covers two articles in which researchers critique the medical model of psychiatry and propose alternatives. Researchers Critique the Medical Model, Propose an Alternative Medical Sociologist Details the Failures of American Psychiatry
Science News: FDA Update, ADHD, Poverty and Suicide, and Antidepressant Withdrawal
July 13, 2021 13:50 - 10 minutes - 14.1 MBThis week, Peter Simons provides an update on the FDA's controversial approval of Alzheimer's drug aducanumab, a new guideline for psychoeducation about ADHD, a study linking poverty rates and youth suicide, and an article providing essential information about antidepressant withdrawal. Federal Investigation into FDA Approval of Alzheimer’s Drug Guideline for Education about ADHD Poverty Rates in US Counties Predict Youth Suicide Risk Four Essential Studies on Antidepressant With...
Science News: Screening Harms, No Genes for Suicide, and Animals for Grief Support
June 29, 2021 11:02 - 8 minutes - 22.1 MBThis week, Peter Simons covers an article from a trauma survivor who describes the harms of screening, an article that found no genetic links to suicide risk, and an article that found animals were far better than humans at supporting grieving people. A Trauma Survivor Explains the Harms of Screening Study Finds No Genetic Correlations with Suicide Risk Pets More Effective for Grief Support than Humans, Study Finds
Science News: FDA Approves Failed Drug Against Advisory Committee Recommendation
June 15, 2021 09:37 - 8 minutes - 21.7 MBThis week, Peter Simons covers the latest news on the FDA's approval of failed Alzheimer's drug aducanumab, against the recommendation of its own advisory committee, which led to three members of the committee resigning in protest. He also covers an article confirming yet again that the FDA's black box warning that antidepressants can cause suicide did not increase suicides. Finally, he covers a study that reveals what exactly service users value about hearing voices groups, and why they are...
Science News: Psychotherapy Can Prevent Relapse When Discontinuing Antidepressants
June 08, 2021 14:37 - 8 minutes - 21.8 MBThis week, Peter Simons covers an article finding that short, simple psychotherapy when discontinuing antidepressants is just as good at preventing relapse as continuing the drug. He also covers a study that found little difference in inflammation between people with and without the depression diagnosis. Finally, he covers a study finding that non-replicable studies are cited more often than replicable studies in the social sciences. Psychotherapy Can Prevent Relapse When Discontinuin...
Science News: Anticholinergic Medications Linked to Cognitive Impairment
May 25, 2021 12:23 - 9 minutes - 12.3 MBThis week, Peter Simons covers an article finding that anticholinergic drugs are linked to cognitive impairment, an article by Allen Frances about overprescription of antidepressants, and an article warning about reductionistic assumptions about biomarkers in psychiatry. Anticholinergic Medications Linked to Cognitive Impairment in Schizophrenia Allen Frances Takes on the Over-Prescription of Antidepressants We Need Clear Thinking About Biomarkers in Psychiatry to Avoi...
Science News: Ethical Issues Raised Over FDA Collaboration with Biogen on Failed Drug
May 18, 2021 10:15 - 7 minutes - 10.7 MBThis week, Peter Simons covers an article in JAMA by FDA advisory committee members that reveals ethical issues with the FDA's collaboration with pharmaceutical company Biogen to re-analyze their two failed trials of Alzheimer's disease drug aducanumab. He also covers a study that found that viewing mental health as a continuum reduces stigma. Ethical Issues Raised Over FDA Collaboration with Biogen on Failed Drug Viewing Mental Differences on a Continuum Reduces Stigma Visit madinam...
Science News: Do Men Just Need to Talk to Prevent Suicide?
May 11, 2021 09:59 - 10 minutes - 13.8 MBThis week, Peter Simons covers a study that found evidence for overdiagnosis of ADHD in children and adolescents, a study about suicide prevention in men, and findings regarding race and gender in PTSD. Study Confirms Overdiagnosis of ADHD in Children and Teens Encouraging Men to Talk about Suicide can Miss the Point Racial and Gender Discrimination Impacts PTSD Severity Visit madinamerica.com for more news, articles and research updates.
Science News: Antidepressant Withdrawal, Antidepressants for Back Pain, and the Impact of Debt on Mental Health
May 04, 2021 09:34 - 9 minutes - 12.9 MBThis week, Peter Simons covers a Cochrane review that found no good evidence on how antidepressant withdrawal, a study that found that antidepressants are not useful for back pain, and a study that found that having financial debt led to later mental health problems. Cochrane Review Calls for More Research on Antidepressant Withdrawal Antidepressants Not Clinically Useful for Back Pain Financial Debt Predicts Poor Mental Health Outcomes Visit madinamerica.com for more news, articl...
Science News: Publication Bias and Outcome Reporting Bias Common in Psychiatry Research
April 28, 2021 09:38 - 10 minutes - 13.2 MBThis week, Peter Simons covers a study that found the validity of RCTs on schizophrenia and bipolar disorder treatments is very often severely compromised by publication bias and outcome reporting bias. He also covers a study that finds that no models, including clinical judgment or machine learning, are able to successfully predict suicide risk. Finally, he covers a paper that addresses the lack of guidance available for discontinuing psychiatric drugs. Misreporting Results and Publicat...
Science News: Stimulant Prescribing Patterns Are Not Impacted by Scientific Evidence
April 20, 2021 13:43 - 10 minutes - 13.1 MBThis week, Peter Simons covers a study that found prescribing rates for ADHD drugs did not increase after positive evidence from the MTA study was published, nor decrease when negative evidence from the same study's long-term arm was published. He also covers a study that found physician disclosure of financial conflicts of interest has not changed behavior to reduce industry bias. Stimulant Prescribing Patterns for ADHD Not Impacted by Scientific Evidence Transparency is Not Enough to ...
Science News: Does Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) Reduce Suicide?
April 13, 2021 10:29 - 11 minutes - 14.6 MBThis week, Peter Simons covers a study of almost 15,000 ECT users which found that the treatment did not reduce suicide risk compared with usual care, as well as an audit of ECT use in England which found very little oversight and a lack of outcome measures. He also covers a pharmaceutical industry-sponsored study that tested a new way to reduce the placebo effect so that newly developed drugs appear more effective. New Study Finds ECT Ineffective for Reducing Suicide Risk Audit of Elec...
Science News: First Scientific Guidance on Tapering Antipsychotics Published
April 06, 2021 10:54 - 9 minutes - 12.6 MBThis week, Peter Simons covers the first peer-reviewed scientific article with specific guidance for discontinuing antipsychotic drugs, a study that found transcranial magnetic stimulation no better than sham treatment for bipolar disorder, and an FDA drug safety communication about the risk of heart arrhythmias with anticonvulsant drug lamotrigine (Lamictal). Major Publication on Tapering Antipsychotics Released Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Ineffective for People with Bipola...
Science News: Study Finds Antidepressants Increase Suicide Risk
April 03, 2021 19:20 - 10 minutes - 13.7 MBThis week, Peter Simons covers an article that finds antidepressants linked with increased suicide risk, an article that describes the ways in which doctors misdiagnose antidepressant withdrawal as medically unexplained symptoms or functional neurological disorders, and an article that finds that being involuntary hospitalized reduces trust in authority figures and makes young people less likely to seek further treatment. Antidepressants Still Linked to Increased Suicide Risk Involuntar...