Latest news with #psychiatrists
Khaleej Times
5 days ago
- Khaleej Times
India: Bomb threats at over 60 schools in Delhi, Bengaluru
More than 20 schools in India's capital New Delhi received bomb threats via emails, officials said on Friday. The fire department and Delhi police rushed to the spot after receiving information about the bomb threats, the Department of Delhi Fire Services said. Further investigation is underway. This comes days after nearly 10 schools and one college in the national capital received bomb threats via email over the last three days, prompting police action and temporary closures. According to the Police the bomb threat letter said, " Hello. I am writing to let you know that I have placed several explosive devices (trinitrotoluene) within school classrooms. The explosives are skillfully hidden, in black plastic bags. I will erase every last one of you from this world. Not a single soul will survive. I will gladly laugh when I will watch the news, only to see the parents show up at the school and to be greeted by the cold, dismembered bodies of their children." "You all deserve to suffer. I truly hate my life, I will commit suicide after the news, will slit my throat and slit my wrists. I was never truly helped, psychiatrists, psychologists, no one has ever cared and no one will ever care. You only care about medicating the helpless and clueless humans' psychiatrists never tell you that those meds ruin your organs or that they cause disgusting weight gain. You brainwash people into thinking psychiatric meds can help them. But they don't. I a living proof that they do not. You all deserve this. You deserve to suffer just like me," the letter read. Earlier, on Wednesday morning, Sardar Patel Vidyalaya announced it would remain closed for the day as advised by the police. According to officials, the schools that received threats include St. Thomas School in Dwarka, Vasant Valley School in Vasant Kunj, The Mother's International School in Hauz Khas, Richmond Global School in Paschim Vihar, and Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in Lodhi Estate. Following the alerts, personnel from the Delhi Police and the bomb disposal squad were deployed to the school premises. Fire tenders were also sent to the affected locations. Meanwhile, Indian news outlet The Times of India reported that 40 schools in Bengaluru, India's tech capital, received bomb threats via email. According to the outlet, the emails were sent by a person using the email ID 'roadkill333@ where the sender claimed to have placed multiple explosives inside classrooms. 3 Delhi University colleges receive threats Three colleges of Delhi University also received bomb threats on Friday.
SBS Australia
12-07-2025
- Health
- SBS Australia
One in seven Australians are on this medication and some have 'strange' symptoms coming off
Antidepressants are some of the most commonly prescribed medications globally and in Australia, but knowledge of how they work and how hard it is to come off them remains highly contested. Data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows nearly four million Australians — roughly one in seven — take antidepressants. A large systematic review of research into the process of withdrawing from the drugs was published this week, but it quickly faced backlash from some psychiatrists and experts. The authors found coming off antidepressants after short-term use was not associated with a "clinically significant" risk of withdrawal symptoms. However, long-term antidepressant use — that is longer than 12 months — is increasingly common and comes with a greater risk of harm. The review found withdrawal symptoms — such as dizziness, nausea, vertigo — occur in a minority of cases, but they are on average manageable and not severe, especially with proper clinical support. The authors suggest that depression after stopping antidepressants is probably a relapse of the original mental health condition, as the results were similar among placebo groups. The meta-analysis examined the findings of 50 randomised controlled trials, involving 17,828 participants. The review published in JAMA Psychiatry included 38 studies with an observation period longer than two weeks, the critical time frame during which withdrawal symptoms are expected to occur. The average age of the participants was 44, and 70 per cent were female. In Australia, women are prescribed antidepressants at 1.5 times the rate of men — a trend that's seen in other parts of the world. Some health professionals say the review provides useful insights, despite its limitations, while others have been highly critical. UK antidepressant researchers Mark Horowitz and Julie Moncrieff said the review "risks underestimating the potential harms to long-term antidepressant users by focusing on short-term, industry-funded studies." Several of the JAMA Psychiatry article's senior authors declared receiving payments from drug companies. Horowitz and Moncrieff argue that the article's "main analysis" is based on eleven trials, six of which looked at people who had taken antidepressants for eight weeks and four for 12 weeks. "There is growing recognition that stopping antidepressants — especially after long-term use — can cause severe and sometimes debilitating withdrawal symptoms, and it is now acknowledged by the UK government as a public health issue," they wrote in The Conversation. New resources have been developed to support people safely stopping the use of antidepressants over time usually months, through what's called a tapering plan. The Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines, published last year and co-authored by Horowitz, has been accepted by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners as an Accepted Clinical Resource. On again, off again antidepressant prescriptions Allied health professional Kizzy said she never wanted to be reliant on anti-depressants and has stopped taking them twice in the past. "I was initially quite resistant to any kind of medication, but I got to a point a couple of years ago ... where I was really struggling with suicidal thoughts and just being able to function and do things because of my mood, and all of these horrible feelings and thoughts I was having, and finally got convinced to try sertraline". She said she noticed the drug — a commonly prescribed antidepressant sometimes sold under the name Zoloft — was making her feel "numb". "My hope is that I can one day be not require antidepressants and still maintain this level of functioning and mental health," she said adding that her current medication "potentially affects" her liver. The United States National Library of Medicine says liver abnormalities reportedly occur in around 1 per cent of people who take sertraline, "but elevations are usually modest and infrequently require dose modification or discontinuation". Professor Paul Fitzgerald is the director of the School of Medicine and Psychology at Australian National University and a member of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. He was not involved in the review. He said it's important to be aware of the more severe cases of side effects. "There are some unusual symptoms that patients experience. The most dramatic one the patients find quite disturbing is the phenomena that patients often talk about as brain zaps." "They get this very strange sensation of electrical zaps in their head or down their spinal cord, and if they haven't been warned about it, it can be quite distressing. It just seems strange." He said it's unclear from this latest review whether the symptoms recorded by researchers are a relapse of a previous mental health condition or withdrawal effects from discontinuing antidepressants. "What happens when somebody's stopping a medication and their underlying symptoms of their condition get worse? "In other words, start to experience more depression or more anxiety, and it can be really difficult to know under those circumstances. "Are those symptoms that they're experiencing some sort of discontinuation or is it really just the symptoms of the illness coming back because the treatment's been withdrawn?" Sonya Morrissey is the national GP adviser at Headspace, a platform supporting the mental health and wellbeing of younger people. She said that, in the past, patients weren't sufficiently warned about discontinuation symptoms of antidepressants. "It is something that we are, I think, recognising more and there's lots more research being done now, which is great, although there's not a significant amount of research yet in the cohort that we see, which is the 12 to 25 year olds," she said. She said antidepressants are not their first line of treatment at Headspace, but will be used occasionally if needed. LISTEN TO SBS News 11/07/2025 08:17 English The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners' Western Australia vice-president, Dr Ramya Raman, said the recently published meta-analysis still provides useful insight for GPs but said more research on withdrawing from long-term anti-depressant use was needed. She also highlighted the importance of a good doctor-patient relationship when withdrawing from psychiatric medication. "When weaning off of the medication and there is a trusted relationship with the GP, and a regular follow-up with that doctor, the risk of having the discontinuation symptoms are less of a concern compared to when patients actually abruptly stop it. Kizzy also said finding a GP with an interest in mental health can make a big difference when navigating the use of antidepressants and the withdrawal process. "I think it's important to find a GP who has a genuine interest in that area rather than just going to your generic GP, finding a regular one who you know can rely on, who can really support you and speak to you in a way that you're going to feel respected and really understood. "And I think that's a really important kind of foundation support to have because once you have that, then you will feel safe enough to be checking in with them, sharing all your concerns, talking about coming off or going on or switching medications and still be okay through all of that." Readers seeking crisis support can ring Lifeline on 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14, the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 and Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 (for young people aged up to 25). More information and support with mental health is available at and on 1300 22 4636.
Forbes
25-06-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Is Burnout Real? What The Scientific Debate Means For Your Company
Matches burning out My husband went to work this morning with a spring in his step. It was the first time in weeks. Why? Because our oldest son was laughing and joking at breakfast after weeks of poor sleep and bad moods. At work, my husband felt energetic. Quite a difference from the previous weeks, when he felt exhausted upon arrival at the office, and had the feeling work was piling up. My husband had been experiencing burnout symptoms, which include feeling exhausted, being negative about work, and lower efficiency. Burnout is acknowledged by the World Health Organization, which defines it in its International Classification of Diseases-11 as 'a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.' More than 50 years of research have been dedicated to understanding burnout. Now, it is being called into question. There are two camps – one consisting of psychologists and psychiatrists questioning the validity and need for the concept of burnout, and the other a group of occupational health researchers underscoring the relevance of burnout. Here are the key points, counterpoints, and takeaway messages that matter for #1: Does Work Cause Burnout? The first point adversaries of burnout make is that there is no convincing evidence that work factors primarily cause burnout. Advocates of burnout, however, maintain that the origin of burnout is the workplace. Understanding precisely what causes burnout is essential, as it can help us find more effective solutions to prevent it. In my husband's case, I wondered, what caused his burnout complaints? The last few weeks were marked by numerous tight submission deadlines. But it was nothing out of the ordinary for his line of work, and something he otherwise dealt with fine. The added family worries had made it difficult to cope with his work demands. This is not to say that work cannot be the sole cause of burnout. Many people work in dismal working conditions where work is the clear culprit of burnout complaints. However, it is essential to consider the overall burden placed on employees, both at work and at home. In a study published almost twenty years ago in Journal of Vocational Behavior, professors Tanja van der Lippe, Esther Kluwer, Henk Flap, and I found that employees with children under six years old were more likely to report burnout complaints than those with older children, even when controlling for work pressure and work hours. A meta-analysis published in Human Relations in 2014 confirms that work-family conflict, characterized by insufficient time or energy to perform both roles effectively, can lead to burnout. The fact that nonwork factors contribute to burnout does not mean that burnout is not work-related. Work demands, together with nonwork demands, might push someone over the edge. Exhausted employees more often call in sick, perform suboptimal, and have less energy to support colleagues properly. There is thus sufficient reason for organizations to support burned-out employees and ensure they have the necessary resources to recover and fully re-engage in their work. When searching for the right resources, however, it will be critical to understand where someone needs help: at work, at home, or both.(Dis)agreement #2: How Prevalent is Burnout? Opponents of burnout argue that burnout researchers exaggerate that burnout is a condition of epidemic magnitude. Proponents, however, also condemn the popular notion that burnout is rampant. As discussed by Professors Hans de Witte from Catholic University Leuven and Wilmar Schaufeli from Utrecht University, the solution lies in clearly differentiating between burnout complaints versus clinically diagnosed burnout. Burnout complaints indicate that an employee often feels exhausted, distances themselves from work, and perceives their accomplishments as lower. These feelings of work stress are, in fact, quite prevalent. A clinical form of burnout, diagnosed by a medical expert, where the employee is on leave for weeks or months, is relatively rare, and the trend appears to be stable. A longitudinal study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research suggests that fewer than four percent of German employees received a formal diagnosis of burnout, and this number remained stable between 2012 and 2022. When the media refers to burnout as epidemic, they essentially mean that more employees feel exhausted and cynical about work, which differs from what is suggested by the word burnout alone, namely, an employee who is sick at home. Disagreement #3: Is Burnout the Same as Depression? Challengers of burnout argue that it is unclear if burnout is different from depression. Professors Renzo Bianchi from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and Irvan Sam Schonfeld from City University of New York vouch for retiring the term and instead viewing it as a subset of depressive symptoms. Burnout supporters, however, pinpoint apparent differences – depression is a mood disorder, primarily characterized by depressed mood and loss of interest and pleasure in activities. Professors De Witte and Schaufeli frame burnout as an energy disorder, primarily characterized by emotional exhaustion and physical fatigue. When asking Christaan Vinkers, Psychiatrist and Professor in Stress and Resilience at the Amsterdam University Medical Center, the Netherlands, if he sees a way out of this impasse, he responds, 'We need large-scale studies that examine the differences and similarities between burnout, depression, and anxiety. We don't know if burnout is truly different from depression, because work stressors can also cause depression, and burnout is not caused by work alone.' Vinkers calls for clinical studies that meticulously map the symptoms of employees who are so distressed that they can no longer perform their work. By focusing on this group, you can determine if there is a clear set of symptoms that belong to the diagnosis of burnout or if these symptoms are so similar to depression and anxiety that they should be categorized there. Vinkers also underscores the need to examine the underlying stress response in more detail. 'It might be even more important to shift focus to the dysregulation process. What causes someone to feel so overwhelmed by life that they can't function anymore? If we know what pushes people over the edge, we can better prevent and treat stress-related illness, regardless of what we call it.'Takeaways for Organizations While some may dismiss this debate as an academic squabble, it contains important lessons for practice. The following guidelines may help organizations. The proponents and opponents of burnout both made valid points. Part of the clash might be attributed to two disciplines using different lenses. A psychiatrist's job is to diagnose people correctly, and for that purpose, better diagnostic burnout tools are necessary. Occupational health psychologists focus on employees who might experience elevated stress at work but are not clinically ill. Both camps have essential roles to play, and these roles seem complementary rather than adversarial.
Free Malaysia Today
23-06-2025
- Health
- Free Malaysia Today
New Zealand approves medicinal use of ‘magic mushrooms'
Party drugs such as magic mushrooms are increasingly being used in mainstream medical settings. (AFP pic) WELLINGTON : New Zealand today approved the medicinal use of psilocybin, a hallucinogenic compound notably found in so-called 'magic mushrooms'. Deputy prime minister David Seymour said rules had been relaxed so psilocybin could be used to treat certain types of depression. Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in some species of mushroom and can cause hallucinations and an altered state of mind. 'Psilocybin remains an unapproved medicine, but a highly experienced psychiatrist has been granted authority to prescribe it to patients with treatment-resistant depression,' Seymour said. 'This is huge for people with depression who've tried everything else and are still suffering. 'If a doctor believes psilocybin can help, they should have the tools to try.' There will be tight rules for prescribing the drug. Only psychiatrists who have been involved in psilocybin clinical trials will be allowed to prescribe it, and they must strictly report its use and keep detailed records. Party drugs such as MDMA and magic mushrooms are increasingly being used in mainstream medical settings, helping treat post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Australia approved the medicinal use of psilocybin in 2023.
ABC News
20-06-2025
- Health
- ABC News
South Australian government to allow GPs to diagnose ADHD
Some general practitioners in South Australia will from next year be able to diagnose patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), in a move the state government says will cut wait times and costs for those seeking a diagnosis. Currently, adults in South Australia seeking an ADHD diagnosis must be assessed by a psychiatrist, while children must see a paediatrician. The state government argues the existing regulations have made it "extremely difficult" to get an ADHD diagnosis due to long wait times and high costs to see a specialist. Rule changes announced by the government on Friday will allow specially trained GPs to diagnose the disorder. It will also allow GPs to prescribe ADHD medication without having to provide evidence to SA Health of a diagnosis from a psychiatrist or paediatrician. The reforms will come into effect in 2026. Health Minister Chris Picton said some patients have spent more than $2,000 for a diagnosis. "That's a huge expense for South Australians and it means that people are missing out on important healthcare that can make a difference for them," he said. Mr Picton also argued the reforms would free up "significant capacity" for psychiatrists and paediatricians to undertake other mental health work. "We know that there's significant need in the community for a whole range of other afflictions people have," he said. The reforms follow a similar move by New South Wales earlier this year. The Western Australian government has also committed to the reform. Specialist training for GPs who want to be involved in ADHD diagnoses will be made available from next year. This is on top of online training modules that are already available through the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP). RACGP chair Siân Goodson said not all GPs will take up the additional training. But she added that many GPs already have experience dealing with ADHD patients. "GPs are often co-managing these patients already, so we often prescribe once we've got the diagnosis is confirmed," she said. "So, we're already getting experience in managing medication and managing these people." Dr Goodson, who is also a GP in Adelaide's northern suburbs, said patients are regularly reporting ADHD symptoms to their doctor. She said early ADHD diagnosis was "really important" for children. "We see people waiting a long time for that diagnosis falling behind at school and the outcomes are less good," she said. "But also for adults, sometimes they've struggled for a long time, they've lost their job or they're not functioning at home. Mother Vaia Allen said she spent around $3,000 on getting an ADHD diagnosis for her 12-year-old daughter Pippa. The cost, Ms Allen said, did not include ongoing medication and regular GP appointments. She also needed to travel from Victoria to South Australia. Ms Allen said her daughter has been on ADHD medication for around four months and it has greatly helped her learning in school. "When we got Pip on ADHD medication, it was so helpful … in her classroom for her teacher, the students around her, and obviously for herself," she said. "It's really obvious to me that the education outcomes are so important in terms of their focus and changing their life trajectory. "She can sit there, listen and understand now." Deborah McLean, president of the South Australian Psychologists Association (SAPA), welcomed the state government's rule changes. She also expressed confidence that the training offered to GPs will be sufficient to correctly diagnose ADHD. But she cautioned that some ADHD patients will still need access to "holistic diagnosis assessment and then treatment" for concurrent conditions like depression and anxiety. "It means that we may only be treating part of the problem. "I think for a lot of people, though, this is a really positive step forward and a way to be able to access the essential services they need." The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) SA Branch also welcomed the rule changes. But the college cautioned that the government "must prioritise patient safety and quality outcomes through greater training and support for doctors treating ADHD". RANZCP SA chair Patrick Clarke, a North Adelaide psychiatrist, said he currently treats around 150 ADHD patients. "That's all I can manage, and I can't take on any more," Dr Clarke said in a statement. "So, we're glad to see the SA government doing more to expand access to ADHD care in the state for people who are missing out on help. "Giving trainee specialists more ADHD exposure will greatly increase the pool of doctors with appropriate exposure to see these patients."
