Richard Sears

This week, Mad in America examines three studies around technology and mental health. The first finds that preoccupation with smartphones is linked to Evidence links screen use to mental health symptoms, yet more people are turning to AI for relief.

This week, Mad in America examines three studies related to economic disadvantage and mental health issues. The first finds that socioeconomic Three new studies show how poverty, unsafe neighborhoods, and insecure work translate structural inequality into psychological distress, depression, and suicide risk.

The global mental health movement has faced criticism for its promotion of standardized interventions that lack cultural relevance and its tendency to A new commentary argues that effective mental health care must move beyond one-size-fits-all psychiatric models and embrace local healing traditions, cultural context, and community leadership.

This week, Mad in America examines three studies related to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and mental health. The first finds that LGBTQ+ Three studies find high levels of adverse childhood experiences in an LGBTQ+ population, adolescents entering therapeutic residential care, and people that have difficulty understanding and identifying emotions.

In 2015, the Norwegian Health Minister issued a directive ordering regional health authorities to create a plan for providing mental healthcare without A new Norwegian study finds that drug-free mental healthcare struggles within psychiatric institutions built around medication, rigid hierarchies, and limited support for relational care.

Three recent studies examine the successful transition of involuntary patients into care roles, the unique value of non-clinical support, and the urgent need for organizational backing to prevent burnout.

Research has documented numerous conflicts of interest (COI) in which pharmaceutical industry money is paid to researchers, APA board members, New studies reveal that conflicted FDA speakers are up to six times more likely to back industry products while 80% of clinical guideline authors in Spain take pharmaceutical industry payments.

This week Mad in America examines three studies related to the Open Dialogue approach in mental healthcare. Open Dialogue is a mental health approach New research finds improved trust, collaboration, and clinician satisfaction—but ongoing resistance from conventional mental health systems.

Past research has framed symptom increases during tapering and discontinuation of psychotropic drugs as a relapse of an underlying “illness.” A new Researchers report that symptom increases during tapering are concentrated at low doses and estimate that a majority of the excess risk may be attributable to withdrawal rather than a return of an underlying “illness.”

This week, Mad in America examines four studies related to the use of language around disabilities and mental health diagnoses. The first finds that Emerging research suggests that debates over person-first and identity-first language cannot be resolved with a one-size-fits-all approach, as preferences differ across diagnoses and communities.