How to think about ADHD Channel 4’s documentary on ADHD earlier this week predictably caused a stir, with cries of outrage starting even before it was aired. But we need to have a debate about ADHD, if for no other reason than it is becoming a significant burden on the health service. Referrals…

How to think about ADHD

Channel 4’s documentary on ADHD earlier this week predictably caused a stir, with cries of outrage starting even before it was aired. But we need to have a debate about ADHD, if for no other reason than it is becoming a significant burden on the health service. Referrals for ADHD assessments among adults are overwhelming mental health services. Most have had to put a block on referrals, because if they didn’t they would have practically no time to do anything else.

joannamoncrieff.wordpress.com

On the pros and cons of the concept of ‘mental illness’: a response to Richard Gipps Summary: Many modern philosophers see the logical incoherence of the medical model that underpins psychiatry, but fail to draw the obvious and radical conclusions. For several years I have been aware that many…

On the pros and cons of the concept of ‘mental illness’: a response to Richard Gipps

Summary: Many modern philosophers see the logical incoherence of the medical model that underpins psychiatry, but fail to draw the obvious and radical conclusions. For several years I have been aware that many contemporary philosophers of psychiatry, whilst critical of the medical model of mental illness or disorder, are nevertheless reluctant to acknowledge the negative consequences of this model, such as the massive medicalisation of human distress, or to criticise the current practice of psychiatry.

joannamoncrieff.wordpress.com

Finally, deprescribing has become an issue for mainstream psychiatry. Not out of interest but in response to political pressure, IMO. And, wow, just look at the conflict of interest section 🙈😳 Not exactly provoking trust. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Recommendations for the Deprescribing of Psychotropic Medications

This consensus statement evaluates clinical situations that would favor deprescription of psychotropic medications and provides broad consensus on its risks and benefits.

jamanetwork.com

Good commentary on the issue!

Rearranging Deck Chairs While the Titanic Goes Down—The American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology Issues Deprescribing Recommendations

Clinicians seeking practical guidance about how to deprescribe in a safe, rational manner will find little here to assist them.

madinamerica.com

Martin Plöderl@ploederl.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Finally, deprescribing has become an issue for mainstream psychiatry. Not out of interest but in response to political pressure, IMO. And, wow, just look at the conflict of interest section 🙈😳 Not exactly provoking trust. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

🔥 Finally, our commentary on the problematic harm benefit ratio of escitalopram to treat pediatric generalized anxiety disorder is published. It took about 2 years and several rejections. With @floriannaudet.bsky.social @joannamoncrieff.bsky.social @markhoro.bsky.social and John Warren 🧵 below

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

journals.sagepub.com

Martin Plöderl@ploederl.bsky.social · last yr.

1/ What if a drug for anxiety disorder more likely makes you feel suicidal than help against anxiety? This was found for escitalopram in paediatric generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), but it was nonetheless approved. Let me explain and summarize experiences with trying to get this corrected in a🧵

From Mad in Canada: Have you ever been prescribed an antidepressant? And, are you an adult, who lives in Canada? If so, we want to hear from you! Click on the link to fill out this important survey. buff.ly/QPJDsbL

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/...

File on 4 Investigates - Thin on Information? Hair loss drug Finasteride - BBC Sounds

Is the popular hair loss drug Finasteride being safely promoted?

bbc.co.uk

I agree psychedelics are being pushed now with little regard for the uncertain and potentially negative consequences of repeated use

Steve Moskal@samoskal.bsky.social · 8mo ago

The ‘broken brain serotonin’ theory for ‘depression’ has well and truely been debunked, acknowledged by psychiatric bodies. (New push re psychedelics has risks of bad psychosis, being misdiagnosed in symptom-only diagnosis as ‘mental illness’. The term ‘psychedelic’ = psychosis experience) #biorisks

Super interesting interaction between two esteemed experts of our field. Such important points, especially toward the end where biological reductionism is discussed

Joanna Moncrieff@joannamoncrieff.bsky.social · 8mo ago

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...

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

Martin Plöderl@ploederl.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Paper now published in the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. Longer thread below! www.jclinepi.com/article/S089... @markhoro.bsky.social @joannamoncrieff.bsky.social @richlyus.bsky.social @floriannaudet.bsky.social

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...

"Chemically Imbalanced": An Interview With Joanna Moncrieff

The author of “Chemically Imbalanced” discusses the persistent serotonin myth of mental illness.

psychologytoday.com

@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

Frontiers | Why psychiatry needs an honest dose of gentle medicine

The pharmaceutical industry’s influence on psychiatric research and practice has been profound and has resulted in exaggerated claims of the effectiveness of...

tinyurl.com

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...

#29: "Psychiatry Failure? The Serotonin Theory of Depression Lacks Evidence!"-Joanna Moncrieff, MD

YouTube video by Making Therapy Better

youtube.com

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...

Controversial mental health voice Joanna Moncrieff speaks out

The final guest editor in our current series on why the drugs don't work, plus new cultural projects for Camden Town & loads to do this week

camdenist.beehiiv.com

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...

El mito de los antidepresivos - La tienda de libros

¿CÓMO LLEGAMOS A CREER QUE LAS EMOCIONES HUMANAS SE REDUCEN A FLUCTUACIONES QUÍMICAS? ¿QUÉ PAPEL JUGARON LA INDUSTRIA FARMACÉUTICA, LOS MEDIOS DE COMU...

almuzaralibros.com

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...

Controversial mental health voice Joanna Moncrieff speaks out

The final guest editor in our current series on why the drugs don't work, plus new cultural projects for Camden Town & loads to do this week

camdenist.beehiiv.com

@joannamoncrieff.bsky.social Found you! now following having left X. camdenist.beehiiv.com/p/controvers...

Controversial mental health voice Joanna Moncrieff speaks out

The final guest editor in our current series on why the drugs don't work, plus new cultural projects for Camden Town & loads to do this week

camdenist.beehiiv.com

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...

Serial Ketamine Infusions for Depression

This randomized clinical trial evaluates outcomes following adjunctive ketamine infusions vs midazolam for depression.

jamanetwork.com

🍃 #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...

Young first-time buyers forced into ‘nature deserts’, UK data shows

Exclusive: High cost of homes near green spaces may be deepening health inequalities, says wildlife coalition

theguardian.com

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...

Universal School Mental Health Lessons Can Backfire, Review Warns

Oxford researchers say classroom-wide mental health interventions can backfire and call for designs that identify who benefits and who is put at risk.

madinamerica.com

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...

Antidepressant Withdrawal: Nothing to Worry About?

Recent reviews claim antidepressant withdrawal is clinically insignificant, but they are based on flawed and short-term studies. Minimizing withdrawal problems is worrying.

psychologytoday.com

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...

Antidepressant Withdrawal: Nothing to Worry About?

Recent reviews claim antidepressant withdrawal is clinically insignificant, but they are based on flawed and short-term studies. Minimizing withdrawal problems is worrying.

psychologytoday.com

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...

FDA Expert Panel on Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Pregnancy

YouTube video by U.S. Food and Drug Administration

youtube.com

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...