Suicide rates are increasing, but understanding of its predictors is incomplete, especially regarding self-perceived financial well-being. This study assessed the association between debt burden and self-reported suicide attempt among US adults.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the daily life of millions worldwide, with still unclear effects on mental health. This study examined patterns in pediatric psychiatric visits to hospital emergency departments in Italy during the pandemic lockdown.
Electroconvulsive therapy has a negative connotation in many circles, but is it getting a bad rap? Dr Andrade offers thoughtful counterpoints to the criticism.
In this letter, Dr Henandez and colleagues reply to a letter from Brigido et al that comments on their recent article on the impact of comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder on outcomes of treatment with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in depressed veterans.
This commentary discusses a recent article on the use of electroconvulsive therapy for depressed patients with and without borderline personality disorder.
This letter to the editor builds on the findings of a recent article by Hernandez and colleagues on the impact of comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder on outcomes of treatment with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in depressed veterans.
Both frailty and late-life depression are associated with higher mortality rates. This study explored the association of physical frailty with mortality in depressed older patients.
Can a patient-centered approach to treatment be adopted for patients with schizophrenia? Can these patients take part in shared decision-making? Follow along as Dr Harvey shares his expertise.
Patients may be more willing to accept some adverse effects than others. Dr Kane offers advice on addressing side effects that prevent patients from maintaining their medication adherence.
Could prazosin help patients with alcohol use disorder who experience intense withdrawal symptoms? Dr Andrade considers the evidence and the findings of a recent large RCT.
Baclofen, a French Exception, Seriously Harms Alcohol Use Disorder Patients Without Benefit
To the Editor: Dr Andrade’s analysis of the Bacloville trial in a recent Clinical and Practical Psychopharmacology column, in which he concluded that “individualized treatment with high-dose baclofen (30-300 mg/d) may be a useful second-line approach in heavy drinkers” and that “baclofen may be particularly useful in patients with liver disease,” deserves comment.1
First, Andrade failed to recall that the first pivotal trial of baclofen, ALPADIR (NCT01738282; 320 patients, as with Bacloville), was negative (see Braillon et al2).
Second, Dr Andrade should have warned readers that Bacloville’s results are most questionable, lacking robustness. Although he cited us,3 he overlooked the evidence we provided indicating that the Bacloville article4 was published without acknowledging major changes to the initial protocol, affecting the primary outcome. Coincidentally (although as skeptics, we do not believe in coincidence), the initial statistical team was changed when data were sold to the French pharmaceutical company applying for the marketing authorization in France. As Ronald H. Coase warned, “If you torture the data long enough, it will confess.”
MY ACCOUNT