CPN co-chairs, Hugh Middleton and Joanna Moncrieff, went to meet Luciana Berger MP (the shadow minister for Mental Health) to convey the importance of a Critical Psychiatry perspective in developing the Labour Party’s mental health policy. After his victory in the Labour Party leadership last year, one of Jeremy Corbyn’s early moves was to appoint

A recent meta-analysis of antipsychotic drug treatment for people with ‘treatment refractory schizophrenia’ suggests clozapine may not be better than other antipsychotics. Clozapine has been the mainstay of treatment for this group since a landmark study by American psychiatrist, John Kane, in 1988 found it to be substantially superior to the old antipsychotic chlorpromazine. Subsequent

Suicides in the Unites States have reached a 30-year high. The steepest rise is in the middle-aged. The rate of suicide in women rose more than in men, but male suicides are still more than three times as common as female suicides. Suicide by firearms was still the most common cause. The Guardian 22/04/16

A recent spot check by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found that Southern Health NHS Mental Health Trust, previously criticised for its inadequate investigations of serious incidents and deaths in care, still lacks robust safety procedures and procedures for managing complaints. The Health Trust’s chairman resigned just before the CQC report was published. The Guardian

On Saturday May 16, there will be demonstrations against shock treatment in many cities around the world, currently including 21 in 16 American states, plus 2 each in England and Canada. There will also be demos in Ireland, New Zealand, and Uruguay (yes, Uruguay!). And new people are still signing up to lead a protest.

Since the 1st January 2015 drug companies in the United Kingdom have begun recording any payments they make to doctors for a range of services such as lectures or chairing meetings. The first 12 months of data will be made public in July 2016. This follows a new disclosure code agreed by the European Federation

The BMJ has been told that Committees of NICE are being encouraged to be more favourable to the drug and device industries. BMJ 2014: 349:g6387

Psychosis and schizophrenia in adults: quality standard consultation The draft NICE quality standard for psychosis and schizophrenia in adults was available for consultation. The consultation period ended at 5pm on Monday 6 October 2014. NICE Quality Standard consultation NICE SCP Comments

CEP exists to communicate the evidence of the damaging effects of psychiatric drugs and treatments in the UK to the people and institutions that can make a difference. This evidence shows that psychiatric drugs, portrayed as useful and effective by many areas of the medical profession, can cause considerable harm to many patients, particularly when

17 & 18 September 2014 Leicester This residential conference will allow delegates to explore the tensions and the gap between the latest developments in psychosis research with the realities of implementation in our contemporary system. It will provide delegates with an opportunity to pause and reflect; explore and debate developments in our knowledge and understanding