Month: January 2026

Reading of the Week: Yoga for Opioid Withdrawal? The New JAMA Psych Paper; Also, MAOIs & History, and AI-Associated Psychosis

January 29, 2026 / / 0 Comments

From the Editor

Yoga is increasingly recognized as having a role in the treatment of those with mood and anxiety problems. But what about substance misuse?

In the first selection, from JAMA Psychiatry, Suddala Goutham (of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, India) and his co-authors attempt to answer that question in a new, early-stage randomized clinical trial. In the study, 59 men were randomized to yoga and buprenorphine or buprenorphine alone. “Those receiving yoga alongside standard buprenorphine treatment achieved withdrawal stabilization 4.4 times faster than controls (median, 5 vs 9 days) and showed significant improvements in heart rate variability, anxiety, sleep, and pain measures.” We consider the study and its implications.

In the second selection, from The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, Vincent Van den Eynde (of Radboud University) and his co-authors write about the MAOI class of antidepressants. In a commentary paper, they argue that these medications are underappreciated. “We thus emphasize the need for renewed attention to the classic MAOIs in clinical practice and research.”

And in the third selection, Dr. Joseph M. Pierre (of the University of California, San Francisco) and his co-authors write about AI-associated psychosis for Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience. They discuss what they suggest is the first journal-published case report, detailing the struggles of a practicing medical professional. “Although multiple pre-existing risk factors may be associated with psychosis proneness, the sycophancy of AI chatbots together with AI chatbot immersion and deification on the part of users may represent particular red flags for the emergence of AI-associated psychosis.”

DG

Continue reading

Reading of the Week: Tobacco, with Papers from JAMA and NEJM

January 22, 2026 /

From the Editor

The waiting room was filled with patients to see, so I concentrated on his history of alcohol misuse and opioids, and I glossed over his nicotine use. But does the path to sobriety in fact start with smoking cessation?

In a new JAMA Psychiatry paper, Michael J. Parks (of the National Institutes of Health) and his co-authors attempt to answer that question. They looked at whether smoking cessation increased sustained remission from substance use disorder (SUD) over time. They describe a longitudinal survey cohort study of more than 2 600 participants from the United States, followed for four years, finding that quitting cigarettes increased the odds of recovery from other SUDs by 30%. “In this cohort study, smoking cessation was linked to better SUD recovery outcomes, and it could improve overall health among the millions of US adults with a current SUD.” We discuss the paper and its implications.

In the second selection from The New England Journal of Medicine, Simon Gilbody (of the University of York) and his colleagues write about the challenges of tobacco in low- and middle- income countries. They note that 80% of tobacco users are in such countries, yet cessation programs aren’t prioritized, particularly absent for those with mental health conditions. “Therapeutic nihilism (the belief that no intervention will work) impedes change and is unjustified in this instance.”

And, in the third selection from JAMA Oncology, Dr. Chadi Nabhan (of the University of South Carolina) writes about his patient and lung cancer. He describes the incredible draw of tobacco – including as a way for his patient to cope with loneliness and isolation. “The cigarette was more than a source of nicotine.”

DG

Continue reading

Reading of the Week: The Best of 2025

January 15, 2026 /

From the Editor

Welcome 2026.

It’s our tradition that the New Year starts with a review of the best papers of the past year. So, as we enter the first weeks of 2026, let’s look back at 2025.

The list is hardly exhaustive, and many great papers aren’t listed here. But there is an important thread that runs through all of them: they tie into our clinical work. These 10 papers selected are interesting, informative, and – yes – relevant.

They cover everything from AI to antidepressant withdrawal. And, yes, we touch on sex, too.

DG



Continue reading