Drugs Shrinking Psychiatrists' Talk Time: Study

Novelist refutes magazine, says it was a bad reaction to sleeping pill

(NEWSER) - Philip Roth isn't happy with the Atlantic: A recent piece in the magazine said he suffered from "a 'crack-up' in his mid-50s," and the novelist says that's simply "not true." The Atlantic Wire points out that the episode, "whatever you call it," has been widely discussed in past articles and interviews, but the novelist rejects the term "crack-up." The truth, says Roth, is that he suffered an "adverse reaction" to a sleeping pill called Halcion in the 1980s. More»

New treatment using currents can help when meds don't

(NEWSER) - People with major depression that doesn't respond to medication may get relief from a therapy that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate the cortex, the Wall Street Journal reports. In a clinical trial, transcranial magnetic stimulation worked in about a quarter of patients—about twice the success rate of patients on a placebo. More»

Sadness is a normal emotion, not a disease, cries anti-joy crowd

(NEWSER) - Maybe you're feeling a little down—not to worry! Turn to self-help books, psychiatrists, little blue pills, or Dr. Phil to make you happier! But in Against Happiness, melancholy Eric Wilson rails against our culture’s “craven disregard for the value of sadness.” And a growing wave of morose-minded thinkers is joining the anti-happiness bandwagon, Newsweek reports. More»

Dose of propranolol 'alters subconscious attitudes,' say researchers

(NEWSER) - Could popping pills make racists change their ways? British researchers claim that a common heart drug significantly reduces racist attitudes. White volunteers given small doses of the beta blocker propranolol scored lower than a control group on a test designed to measure subconscious racist attitudes, the Telegraph reports. The Oxford University team believes the change in attitude was caused by the drug's effect on the parts of the brain and nervous system that regulate fear. More»

Use is up 400% since 1988, says CDC

(NEWSER) - The CDC rounds up some depressing stats about antidepressant use:

• More than one in 10 Americans (11%) older than 12 take the drugs, the majority of them for depression.
• That marks a 400% increase since 1988 and makes antidepressants the most commonly used drug for people ages 18 to 44, notes USA Today .
• Less than one-third of those on antidepressants have seen a mental health professional in the last year.