Why do psychiatric drugs help some, but not others? Study offers clues

 New research shows that a key protein in the brain called AKT may function differently in males than females. The study also offers a closer look at where, precisely, in the brain things may go wrong with it, marking an important step toward more targeted and less harmful therapies.

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Lithium in drinking water linked with lower suicide rates

Naturally occurring lithium in public drinking water may have an anti-suicidal effect - according to a new study. The study collated research from around the world and found that geographical areas with relatively high levels or concentration of lithium in public drinking water had correspondingly lower suicide rates.
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Traditional PTSD therapy doesn't trigger drug relapse

Researchers have now demonstrated that behavior therapy that exposes people to memories of their trauma doesn't cause relapses of opioid or other drug use, and that PTSD severity and emotional problems have decreased after the first therapy session.
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Prescribing guidelines for patients with a first episode psychosis

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ADHD Drugs Cause Brain to Focus on Benefits of Work, Not the Costs

It has long been assumed that stimulant drugs, such as Ritalin and Adderall, work by helping people focus. Click here to link to PsychCentral article

When and How to End Antidepressant Treatment And Avoid Withdrawal Symptoms

Many experts are now recommending that individuals who have taken antidepressants for years should consider coming off the medication, if symptoms have been resolved.
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Rich rewards: Scientists reveal ADHD medication's effect on the brain

Researchers scan the brain to uncover how medication for ADHD affects the brain's reward system. Click here to read ScienceDaily article

Side effects mild, brief with single antidepressant dose of intravenous ketamine

Researchers found that a single, low-dose ketamine infusion was relatively free of side effects for patients with treatment-resistant depression. Read ScienceDaily article here

Psychotropic drugs and people with learning disabilities or autism

Describes a system to track prescribing of antipsychotics, antidepressants and other psychotropics for people with learning disabilities, autism or both. Read government guidance here

Integrated therapy treating obesity and depression is effective

An intervention combining behavioral weight loss treatment and problem-solving therapy with as-needed antidepressant medication for participants with co-occurring obesity and depression improved weight loss and depressive symptoms compared with routine physician care. read ScienceDaily article here

Study: Most Psychoactive Drugs Taken During Pregnancy Do Not Increase Risk of Autism

New research finds that a mother’s use of antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs while pregnant does not place the baby at risk for autism. Read PsychCentral article here

One in four older adults prescribed a benzodiazepine goes on to risky long-term use

They may start as well-intentioned efforts to calm anxiety, improve sleep or ease depression. But prescriptions for sedatives known as benzodiazepines may lead to long-term use among one in four older adults who receive them, according to new research.  Read ScienceDaily article here

Parkinson’s Drugs Tied to Impulse Control Disorders

Nearly half of patients taking certain drugs for Parkinson’s disease may eventually develop impulse control disorders such as compulsive eating, gambling or shopping, according to a new French study published in the journal Neurology. Click here to read PsychCentral article

The most effective antidepressants for adults revealed in major review

The review provides new evidence which may help people decide which antidepressant to choose first-line for moderate to severe depression. However, it did not assess antidepressants compared to other treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy, or treatments in combination. Though there are some concerns over items not reported by individual trials, this review is likely to be reliable. It is extensive, included only controlled double blind trials and searched successfully for unpublished trials. Click here for link

Some Antipsychotics Tied to Greater Risk of Gestational Diabetes

A new study finds that women who continue taking the atypical antipsychotic drugs olanzapine (Zyprexa) and quetiapine (Seroquel) during pregnancy are at an increased risk for gestational diabetes. The findings are published in the American Journal of Psychiatry. Click here to read PsychCentral article

Many New Dementia Patients Get Unnecessary Drugs

A new international study finds that medication use in newly diagnosed dementia patients increases by approximately 11 percent within the first year, and a good portion of these drugs are unnecessary or inappropriate. This includes sleeping tablets, pain relievers, depression medications and acid reflux drugs. Click here for PsychCentral article

Stop vilifying antidepressants – mental health is more complex than the “insteaders” think

Antidepressants work,” blared headlines about a new study published in medical journal The Lancet this week. Hundreds of millions of people live with depression. In a world where vaccines are viewed with suspicion and the internet overflows with dubious health advice “they don't want you to know”, The Lancet paper didn't end debate, it inflamed it. Read new Statesman article here

Antidepressant response within hours? Experts weigh evidence on ketamine as fast-acting treatment for depression

Recent studies suggest that ketamine, a widely used anesthetic agent, could offer a wholly new approach to treating severe depression -- producing an antidepressant response in hours rather than weeks. Experts weigh recent evidence on ketamine and related drugs for treating depression in two new published reviews. Read ScienceDaily article here

Troubled mum took own life after she stopped taking mental health meds due to weight gain

A young mum and much-loved fiancee took her own life after she stopped taking her anti-psychosis medication due to a self-esteem crisis. Click here to read metro article

New Antipsychotic May Relieve Psychosis in Dementia Patients

A new atypical antipsychotic, known as pimavanserin (Nuplazid), has been shown to help relieve the terrifying symptoms of psychosis in Alzheimer’s disease without the devastating side effects often seen with current antipsychotics, according to new findings published in the journal Lancet Neurology. Click here to read PsychCentral article