Episode
About this Episode:
A conversation with Peter Simons about the philosophy of science, the largely unsubstantiated nature of many contemporary assumptions about psychiatric diagnoses and medication-based treatments, and suggestions for being an informed consumer of mental health related research. Peter critically analyzes pharmaceutical research, genetic prediction models, and fMRI studies and discusses the lasting value of existential philosophy.
Presenter
About Scott:
Peter Simons holds degrees in English, philosophy, art, and an advanced degree in psychology. He is a published academic researcher and spent several years as a psychologist-in-training in both a psychiatric hospital and in college counseling. Now, as a science writer, he tries to provide the layperson with a view into the sometimes inscrutable world of psychiatric research. As an editor for blogs and personal stories at Mad in America, he prizes the accounts of those with lived experience of the psychiatric system.In his spare time, he runs the YouTube channel Graveyard Poetry.
You can learn more about his work at Mad in America at: https://www.madinamerica.com/author/psimons/
Links and References
Links & Resources:
Study found 49% of antidepressant trials did not beat placebo – https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmsa065779
Study found average drug-placebo difference was 1.8 on the HAM-D – https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228550299_The_Emperor’s_New_Drugs_An_Analysis_of_Antidepressant_Medication_Data_Submitted_to_the_US_Food_and_Drug_Administration
Chemical Imbalance theory 1: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12115-007-9047-3
Chemical Imbalance theory 2: https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.0020392
Biological explanations lead to worse outcomes:
http://www.jonabram.web.unc.edu/files/2013/09/Deacon_biomedical_model_2013.pdf
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15902409/
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2009-06865-001
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16684503/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21859181/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16433278/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17022790/
Genetics studies:
https://www.madinamerica.com/2020/07/genetic-testing-may-explain-less-1-mental-health-issues/
MRI unreliability:
https://www.madinamerica.com/2020/08/researchers-mri-studies-unreliable-not-suitable-research/
https://www.madinamerica.com/2020/08/conclusions-brain-scan-studies-problematic-not-unsubstantiated/
Citation
APA Citation for this Episode:
Miller, M. (Producer). (2020, September 1). EP184: Questioning the Scientific Methods and Clinical Utility of Biological Explanations for Mental Distress with Peter Simmons [Audio Podcast]. The Thoughtful Counselor. Retrieved from https://wp.me/p7R6fn-Xlx.
