Tag: mental illness

Popular hair-loss pill linked to depression and suicide

A new analysis by a public health expert at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has found that finasteride, a widely used treatment for hair loss, has been associated with depression and suicide for more than twenty years. Despite these long-standing concerns, neither regulators nor the drug’s manufacturer took meaningful action. Drawing on adverse event reports and health records from several countries, the review identifies a consistent pattern of psychiatric side effects linked to the drug. Even with growing evidence, both Merck and the FDA failed to launch necessary safety investigations. The author is now urging major reforms to the way medications are approved and monitored for long-term risks.

For more than two decades, finasteride has been prescribed to millions of men seeking to slow or reverse hair loss. Behind its cosmetic appeal, however, evidence has continued to emerge suggesting serious mental health consequences, including depression, anxiety, and in some cases, suicide.

Prof. Mayer Brezis of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem argues that both the medical community and regulators have repeatedly failed to protect the public by overlooking signs of psychiatric harm associated with the drug.

His review analyzed data from eight large studies published between 2017 and 2023. The findings show a clear trend: people who used finasteride were far more likely to experience mood disorders and suicidal thoughts than those who did not. This pattern appeared consistently across various national databases, including the FDA’s adverse event system and healthcare records from Sweden, Canada, and Israel.

“The evidence is no longer anecdotal,” said Prof. Brezis, a professor emeritus of medicine and public health. “We now see consistent patterns across diverse populations. And the consequences may have been tragic.”

The report estimates that hundreds of thousands of users may have suffered from finasteride-related depression, and that hundreds — possibly more — may have died by suicide. Originally approved by the FDA in 1997 for male pattern baldness, the drug has remained popular for its perceived safety and effectiveness, particularly among younger men. Critics say, however, that its risks were downplayed or ignored.

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Psilocybin therapy linked to reduced suicidal thoughts in people with psychiatric disorders

A new study published in Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology provides evidence that psilocybin therapy may reduce suicidal ideation in adults with psychiatric conditions. The findings come from a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials and suggest that the psychedelic compound, when paired with psychological support, may have a modest but measurable impact on decreasing thoughts of suicide. Although suicide attempts and deaths were not observed in these trials, the results point to the possibility that psilocybin could play a role in mental health treatment strategies aimed at reducing suicide risk.

Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in certain mushrooms, sometimes called “magic mushrooms.” It affects the brain by stimulating serotonin receptors, particularly one known to play a role in mood regulation and emotional processing. When administered in controlled clinical settings alongside therapy, psilocybin has been shown to help relieve symptoms of depression, anxiety, and some forms of addiction.

Interest in psilocybin as a therapeutic agent has grown rapidly in recent years, especially for people who do not respond to standard treatments like antidepressants or talk therapy. Some smaller studies have suggested that psilocybin therapy might also reduce suicidal ideation, a symptom common in many psychiatric conditions.

Given suicide’s widespread toll on public health, researchers wanted to evaluate whether these early signs held up across multiple trials. To do this, they examined all available randomized controlled trials that reported on suicide-related outcomes in people undergoing psilocybin therapy.

“I was inspired to investigate the usage of psilocybin therapy to help treat my patients who suffer from treatment resistant depression. As I was reading the latest clinical trials at the time, there were some reports of increasing suicidal ideation. Increasing suicidal ideation would be a risk in this vulnerable population. When I was reviewing the literature, there was not much synthesized evidence which inspired me to pursue this study,” explained study author Stanley Wong, a general psychiatry resident at the University of Toronto.

To assess the potential impact of psilocybin therapy on suicidal ideation and behaviors, the research team carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis. A systematic review collects and evaluates all relevant studies on a specific topic using a structured and transparent process. A meta-analysis goes a step further by statistically combining results from multiple studies to estimate an overall effect. This method is often used in medicine to determine how well a treatment works by comparing evidence across different settings, sample sizes, and trial designs.

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Where Mental Health Problems Are Most Prevalent

Over the past few years, a lot of progress has been made in accepting and understanding mental health problems.

Having long been seen as a sign of weakness, mental health issues in their many varieties and severities have become much less of a taboo.

The pandemic, which left many people feel isolated, powerless or overwhelmed, accelerated that trend, as it not only caused a spike in symptoms of anxiety or depression, but also led more people to open up about their problems.

As Statista’s Felix Richter shows in the chart below, based on data from a Statista survey, more than 4 in 10 U.S. adults reported that they experienced symptoms of mental health problems, such as stress, anxiety or depression in the 12 months preceding the survey, making an open discourse about mental health issues all the more important.

You will find more infographics at Statista

As the chart shows, the prevalence of self-reported mental health problems varies greatly across countries, suggesting that people in some countries, e.g. China or Japan, may be more hesitant to open up about mental health or simply less likely to identify certain problems as mental health issues.

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Plane forced to land after wacko wearing ‘15 masks’ screams that gay people were giving him cancer

A New Jersey-bound plane was forced to divert after an unruly passenger wearing over a dozen facemasks began ranting that gay people were giving him cancer.

The Sun Country Airlines plane left Minneapolis for Newark Friday morning, but cut its trip short and landed in Chicago after the wacko’s ravings escalated into screams of “the plane is going down.”

Fellow passenger Seth Evans was sitting across the aisle from the nut, and told the Minnesota Star Tribune that chaos started the moment the plane took off when he started raving about being “gang chased” by gay people.

The man also screamed he was being “radiated” and “cooked” by gays, and that they were giving him cancer, the witness said.

Perhaps to stave off the supposed onslaught, the crackpot was wearing “no less than 15 masks” over his mouth, Evans told the Tribune.

At one point, the man even announced “Trump is here.”

But screaming deluded conspiracies wasn’t all the man was good for — between each outburst he buckled down and played a round of Candy Crush, before standing up and mouthing off again at top volume.

The game was over, however, when his declarations were made about the plane crashing.

Once on the ground at O’Hare International Airport, the man was handcuffed and hauled off by Chicago police.

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Jesse Kelly with Dr. Witt-Doerring on Surge in Mental Health Issues – “These Medications can Make Some People so Psychotic That Even People who Never had a Hint of Violence, They can Actually go and do Terrible Things”

Jesse Kelly of “The First” talked with Dr. Witt-Doerring on the hidden problems contributing to mental health issues, which are leading to violence.

The video opens with a clip of RFK Jr. discussing how “We are the most over-medicated nation in the world.”

“We’ve always had guns. Now we have psychos walking into schools and churches, murdering people before they blow their heads off and it’s unbelievably terrible. And we need to get to the root of the problem. What is it?” Kelly asked.

“When we look at, the, you know, what is causing mass shootings, I think there is, you know surly there is an element of mass contagion going on, but what Bobby says about these psychiatric drugs being involved is completely true,” Dr. Witt-Doerring said.

Dr. Witt-Doerring explained that medications like SSRIs in some cases can push people over the edge. In rare cases it can cause aggression and contribute to being suicidal.

“It’s hiding in plain sight. I mean, if you look at the drug labels, like you mentioned, for SSRIs, it already says that they can cause aggression and hostility. It already says that they can make people who are not suicidal, suicidal,” Dr. Witt-Doerring said.

“These drugs in rare instances, I want to say that. These are not the common effects. These are the paradoxical effects from these medications. That in rare instances, they can make some people more aggressive,” Dr. Witt-Doerring continued.

“The media never talks about this. There’s actually been several cases out there which have gone to the courts, where judges and jurors have found that these drugs have been involved in suicides and also mass homicide,” Dr. Witt-Doerring said.

“What is it that has as you said nine people can take it and maybe they are a little lethargic and the last one turns into a demon who murders Catholic school kids. How in the world can the results be so different?” Kelly asked.

Dr. Witt-Doerring explained that if someone for example, has thoughts toward murder, the medication can contribute to them acting on their thoughts.

“These drugs can have a spectrum effect, right? Let’s say for instance you already have someone who is harboring some kind of homicidal thoughts. You put them on a medication that is disinhibiting. A medication that is blunting their emotions, and this is what a lot of these medications do, especially things like SSRIs. They may be more likely to act on preexisting thoughts,” Dr. Witt-Doerring said.

“These medications can make some people so psychotic that even people who never had a hint of violence, they can actually go and do terrible things,” Dr. Witt-Doerring warned.

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Nation Stunned After Child’s Killer Freed

The White House is looking into the case of a convicted killer who stabbed a 6-year-old to death in 2015 and is now walking free because of supposed good behavior since he plead not guilty by reason of insanity. 

Ronald Exantus broke into a family’s home, stole a kitchen knife and used it to stab sleeping Logan Tipton, who was sleeping, to death. 

White House Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X that the White House is looking into this case. 

“I can confirm the White House is looking into this. It’s wholly unacceptable for a child killer to walk free after just several years in prison.”

A viral video shows Kentucky father Dean Tipton said he will kill the man if the two cross path. 

“I’ve had my talks with God ’cause I’m not afraid to tell you what I told the court,” his father, Dean Tipton, told WLKY-TV. “If I ever cross paths with him, I will kill the man. I will kill him where he stands.”

Matt Walsh previously posted a video on X. 

“This case should be getting A LOT more attention. Should be massively viral. We need the White House on it. A man who broke into a house and stabbed a child to death is now walking free. One of the most heinous miscarriages of justice in American history.”

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Former Friend of North Carolina Shooter Says He Tried to Warn People Suspect Was Suffering Mentally: ‘This Was 100 Percent Predictable’

As the Gateway Pundit reported over the weekend, a young man named Nigel Max Edge was arrested and charged with three counts of first degree murder after opening fire on the American Fish Company restaurant dock in the North Carolina coastal town of Southport.

Edge is a Marine veteran who served in Iraq. Unfortunately, he was battling some personal demons.

One of his former friends is now speaking out and saying that he tried to get help for the man and that his warnings to authorities went unheeded.

It’s a tragic reminder that we have a serious mental health crisis in the country right now.

RedState reported:

We’re learning more about Sean DeBevoise, a/k/a Nigel Edge, the man suspected of killing three people and injuring many others in Southport, North Carolina on Saturday night, from a post one of his best friends made to Facebook on Sunday.

DeBevoise, a Purple Heart recipient, is a Marine sniper who served in combat in Iraq and was severely injured. Since that time he has had major mental health issues, and according to Marc Simmons’ post, DeBevoise had been “diagnosed with delusional disorder, after a short stay in a mental hospital.” Simmons and his wife, who’d asked DeBevoise to be their son’s godfather, distanced themselves from him around 2019, when DeBevoise’s “paranoia grew.”

A few years later, DeBevoise showed up at Simmons’ workplace and accused him of being part of conspiracies against him. Simmons eventually got a no contact order and “notified the courts that this was a person that was not only mentally ill, but was also a trained SNIPER and steps should be taken and taken serious.”

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Scots patients forced to have electric shock treatment more than 1000 times.

Patients in Scotland were forced to receive electric shock treatment against their will almost 1,100 times last year – prompting calls for the NHS to stop using the ‘ethically unacceptable’ procedure.

In each case, people suffering from mental illness were compelled to undergo electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) even though they objected to the treatment or actively struggled to resist it.

The World Health Organisation and United Nations recently warned that involuntary or forced ECT risked breaching patients’ human rights – and could be regarded as a form of torture.

The procedure, which sees electric currents passed through the brain to induce a brief seizure, has been used since the 1930s but remains deeply controversial.

A new report shows that ECT was carried out in the Scottish NHS more than 4,000 times last year.

Women in their 60s were most likely to receive the treatment – while the most commonly treated condition was severe depression.

In around 2,000 cases, ECT was performed on people who, because of their mental state, were deemed incapable of giving consent.

In 1,081 cases, treatment was given to patients who said they didn’t want it or fought against it – but who were over-ruled by doctors.

While health chiefs in Scotland acknowledge ECT can produce ‘adverse’ side-effects, they insist it is safe and effective.

First developed in the 1930s, the procedure was infamously portrayed in the 1975 film One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, in which Jack Nicholson plays a convicted criminal who feigns mental illness.

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Kavanaugh Would-Be Assassin Now Identifies As a Transgender Woman

The United States Department of Justice has formally recommended a prison sentence for the man who tried to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. But according to Court documents, Nicholas John Roske is now “Sophia Roske.”

Roske pleaded guilty to the crime in April of 2025, and a sentencing memo was filed on Friday in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, according to a press release from the DOJ. The U.S. government is seeking a sentence of 30 years. 

Roske claimed to suffer from severe mental illness at the time of his 2022 arrest. Now, that same instability appears to have driven him to identify as female, an episode that underscores both the growing trend of transgender-linked violence and the broader, unaddressed mental health crisis in America.

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MAGA lawmaker calls to forcefully mass institutionalize trans people: ‘We have to get them off the streets!’

Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) is now proposing that transgender people be mass institutionalized because “this is a cancer that’s spreading across this country” and we “have to get them off the streets,” all while claiming that trans women “have an underlying level of aggressiveness.”

The MAGA lawmaker’s remarks come as conservatives are ramping up their anti-transgender rhetoric in the wake of the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, whose alleged shooter has a roommate and romantic partner who is currently transitioning genders.

According to law enforcement officials, the suspect – 22-year-old Tyler Robinson – confessed in a text exchange with the roommate that he had killed Kirk. “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out,” Robinson said in one text when asked why he had shot Kirk, who had long railed against transgender rights.

Robinson’s mother also told prosecutors that her son had become “more pro-gay and trans-rights oriented” in the past year. When Kirk was shot at Utah Valley University last week, he was debating a person on the prevalence of mass shootings carried out by transgender people.

At the same time, while the texts are illuminating, they don’t explicitly show which specific views of Kirk’s that Robinson thought were hateful. When asked at a Tuesday news conference if transgender issues played a role in the shooting, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said he was “going to stick to what I just stated in” the court documents, as it was “pretty much set forth there.”

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