It was great that BBC radio 4 covered the harmful effects of finasteride, including persistent sexual dysfunction. More attention is needed to the fact that SSRIs and other antidepressants cause similar, potentially devastating effects. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
I agree psychedelics are being pushed now with little regard for the uncertain and potentially negative consequences of repeated use
Super interesting interaction between two esteemed experts of our field.
Such important points, especially toward the end where biological reductionism is discussed
See this detailed thread on our paper. In sum, evidence shows fluoxetine has no meaningful effect. Earlier studies influenced by recency bias. But it is still recommended in clinical guidelines
Welcome to the world of "pure" biological psychiatry
"MDD is increasingly understood as a disorder of dysregulated neuroplasticity rather than solely of neurotransmitter imbalance"
www.biorxiv.org/content/bior...
@padbergthorsten.bsky.social @joannamoncrieff.bsky.social @mad-in-america.bsky.social
Do #antidepressants resolve a chemical imbalance or risk creating one?
My interview @psychologytoday.com with @joannamoncrieff.bsky.social, author of Chemically Imbalanced
#SSRIs #Depression #Psychiatry #MedSky
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/side...
@joannamoncrieff.bsky.social
The 'medicalization of distress, the sedimented belief in “magic bullets,” and the push to “scale up” mental health treatment have contributed to the meteoric rise in the prescription of psychiatric drugs and of polypharmacy
tinyurl.com/2az6fc86
In this podcast I talk to therapist, Bruce Wampold, about the science and sociology of the chemical imbalance theory, how emotions are signals and about the potential risks of upcoming treatments for mental disorders, including psychedelics www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7Yu...
In mental health diagnoses are not explanations. 'Sometimes that can be a distraction, because people often try to fit themselves into boxes ..and don't necessarily communicate, or become aware of, what their actual problems are' camdenist.beehiiv.com/p/controvers...
I am delighted to announce that the Spanish translation of Chemically Imbalanced is out now - its called "El mito de los antidepresivos" published by Arcopress almuzaralibros.com/fichalibro.p...
My interview in the Camdenist. We have come to think what we 'need is ever more neuroscience, and that that is somehow going to uncover the answer to everything and tell us who we really are. It is not.' camdenist.beehiiv.com/p/controvers...
@joannamoncrieff.bsky.social Found you! now following having left X.
camdenist.beehiiv.com/p/controvers...
No significant effect for ketamine (vs midazolam) in this trial. This contrasts previous research. Functional unblinding and reduced expectancy effects due to the enrolment algorithm likely explain this finding (implying that older research is biased).
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
🍃 #NatureMatters➡️#EmotionalWellbeing➡️#HousingMatters
🚨Recent studies show that living near #parks or natural #GreenSpace reduces anxiety and depression by about 20 per cent🚨
@housingtoday.bsky.social @heathernstaff.bsky.social @joannamoncrieff.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/money/2025/o...
Universal School Mental Health Lessons Can Backfire, Review Warns
A new review finds that universal, school mental health programs can worsen symptoms for some students and urges trials that measure harm as well as benefit.
By Ally Riddle
www.madinamerica.com/2025/10/univ...
Looking forward to taking part in the HTLGI festival in Kenwood House, London, Sept 20-21st. The line up of amazing scientists, thinkers & political figures including Brain Cox, Roger Penrose, Alastair Campbell, Diane Abbott etc. Tickets howthelightgetsin.org/festivals/lo...
Blog on the longstanding tendency to play down the dependence-inducing effects of psychiatric drugs, now playing out in two reviews that minimise antidepressant withdrawal effects based on flawed studies of short-term users www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/chem...
When Dr. Roussos-Ross pointed out the dangers of untreated depression, she left out the fact that antidepressants (ADs) have modest efficacy (as later pointed out by @joannamoncrieff.bsky.social ). Bc of the side effects, ADs are associated with a problematic harm-benefit ratio for the majority.
Excellent summary of the ongoing controversy about antidepressant withdrawal issues by @joannamoncrieff.bsky.social
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/chem...
I was honoured to take part in the FDA's panel on the risks of SSRIs in pregnancy yesterday along with other experts @fda.gov. This is a huge issue with so many young women taking these drugs. I hope the UK and other countries will listen to the evidence presented www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Nha...
It is worrying that leading psychiatrists have quoted the Henssler review regardless of these limitations (and the more recent Kalfas review) to reassure the public and called on the Royal College of Psychiatrists to weaken its advice on stopping antidepressants 4/n
Only 5 studies in the Henssler AD withdrawal review (not 18 as claimed) used a relevant measure of withdrawal. These find 55% of people reported withdrawal symptoms after stopping antidepressant 3/n
The vast majority of included studies in the Henssler AD withdrawal review were not designed to measure withdrawal and only recorded it incidentally among spontaneously reported ‘adverse events’. This is no basis for estimating prevalence 2/n
Remember the 2024 Henssler review claiming only 1 in 6 have antidepressant withdrawal symptoms & 1 in 30 severe symptoms? Here we show it was based on highly unreliable data & can't be used to assess withdrawal effects @ploederl.bsky.social @markhoro.bsky.social 1/n www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
'Psychiatrists have been accused of downplaying the risks of antidepressant withdrawal in a new study' www.thecanary.co/global/world...
Our rapid response in the BMJ highlights how the recent antidepressant withdrawal review confirms withdrawal effects with SSRIs and SNRIs but underestimates their significance due to relying on short-term trials and other methodological problems @ploederl.bsky.social www.bmj.com/content/390/...
Our rapid response to a summary of the new problematic antidepressant withdrawal study has been published, together with other interesting and important ones (e.g., by @markhoro.bsky.social ).
@joannamoncrieff.bsky.social
Useful thread on this study
Useful thread critiquing the recent review of antidepressant withdrawal
Occurrence of a discontinuation syndrome in the 5-8 day discontinuation period, defined by Rosenbaum et al. as 4+ withdrawal symptoms: 60% sertraline, 66%paroxetine, and 14% fluoxetine (which can serve as control group).
This conforms the ca. 50% occurrence, which was dismissed by Hayes 🤔
