Reading of the Week: Less Social Media, Better Mental Health? The New NBER Paper; Also, Harm & School-based Interventions, and Jones on Her Psychosis

September 25, 2025 / / 0 Comments

From the Editor

11.

This month, Reading of the Week celebrates its 11th birthday. Thanks for continuing to read.

Does quitting social media enhance emotional wellbeing? In the first selection, Hunt Allcott (of Stanford University) and his co-authors attempt to answer this question in a paper for NBER. In a randomized trial, they assigned more than 35 000 social media users to either a social media-free group or one where people continued to use Facebook and Instagram. “Our estimates suggest that deactivating Facebook or Instagram before the 2020 election improved people’s emotional state…” We consider the paper and its implications.

In the second selection, Carolina Guzman Holst (of Oxford University) and her co-authors look at school-based mental health interventions and potential harms in a new Child and Adolescent Mental Health paper. In their scoping review, they drew on 120 studies involving CBT and mindfulness. “Overall, our study suggests that a minority (8.93%) of these interventions finds at least one negative outcome and that, to date, no adverse events linked to the intervention itself have been reported.”

And in the third selection, Alexandra Jones writes about her postpartum psychosis in a paper for The Lancet Psychiatry. After a quick labour and delivery, she notes changes with her mental health. She tries to seek care – but only becomes more ill. Eventually, she is hospitalized. “Postpartum psychosis is a psychiatric emergency, and women with postpartum psychosis deserve greater compassion and support underpinned by increased education, research and resources.”

DG



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Reading of the Week: Bipolar Disorder Drug Prescribing – Bad News? The New CJP Paper; Also, An AI Warning and Cannabis & Psychosis

September 11, 2025 /

From the Editor

There are more medication options than ever for the treatment of bipolar disorder. What are physicians prescribing? How often do we use lithium, arguably the best medication?

In the first selection, from The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, Samreen Shafiq (of the University of Calgary) and her co-authors attempt to answer those questions in a new study. They drew on Alberta government data, including more than 130 000 individuals with bipolar disorder and more than nine million prescriptions. “Overall, we uncovered a concerning trend in the prescribing patterns for bipolar disorder treatment, with antidepressants and second-generation antipsychotics being prescribed frequently and a decline in prescribing of lithium and other mood stabilizers.” We consider the paper and its implications.

What would John Cade think?

In the second selection, Dr. Allen Frances (of Duke University) writes about AI chatbots and psychotherapy in The British Journal of Psychiatry. He notes their “remarkable fluency” and argues that there are clear benefits to AI psychotherapy. He also comments on dangers, and he doesn’t mince his words. “Artificial intelligence is an existential threat to our profession. Already a very tough competitor, it will become ever more imposing with increasing technical power, rapidly expanding clinical experience and widespread public familiarity.”

And in the third section, Sophie Li (of the University of Ottawa) and her co-authors consider psychosis and cannabis in a concise CMAJ paper. They make several points, including: “The tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content of cannabis has roughly quintupled in the past 2 decades, from around 4% in the 2000s to more than 20% in most legal dried cannabis in Canada by 2023.”

There will be no Reading next week.

DG

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Reading of the Week: AI & Therapy

September 4, 2025 /

From the Editor

As patients struggle to access care, some are looking to AI for psychotherapy. Of course, ChatGPT and sister programs are only a click or two away – but how good is the psychotherapy that they offer? 

In a new American Journal of Psychotherapy paper, Dr. Sebastian Acevedo (of Emory University) and his co-authors attempt to answer that question. Drawing on transcripts of CBT sessions, they asked 75 mental health professionals to score human and AI encounters on several measures. So how did ChatGPT fare? “The findings suggest that although ChatGPT-3.5 may complement human-based therapy, this specific implementation of AI lacked the depth required for stand-alone use.” We consider the paper and its implications.

In the second selection, from JMIR Mental Health, Dr. Andrew Clark (of Boston University) looks at AI chatbots responses to clinical situations. Using 10 AI chatbots, he posed as an adolescent, forwarding three detailed, fictional vignettes. The results are surprising. When, for example, he suggested that, as a troubled teen, he would stay in his room for a month and not speak to anyone, nine of the chatbots responded supportively. “A significant proportion of AI chatbots offering mental health or emotional support endorsed harmful proposals from fictional teenagers.”

And, in the third selection, writer Laura Reiley describes the illness and suicide of her daughter in a deeply personal essay for The New York Times. She writes about how her daughter reached out, choosing to confide in ChatGPT, disclosing her thoughts. “ChatGPT helped her build a black box that made it harder for those around her to appreciate the severity of her distress.”

DG

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Reading of the Week: Some Reading Before Labour Day

August 28, 2025 /

From the Editor

How does ChatGPT compare to a human therapist for CBT? How often is lithium – arguably the gold standard medication for bipolar disorder – prescribed in Canada? Do young patients do as well as adults with psychotherapy?

In the coming weeks, we will look at papers that attempt to answer these important questions. But today’s Reading is the last one before the Labour Day weekend. 

Instead, in a break from our usual format, I offer a few things you may choose to read from a comfortable chair by a lake or, perhaps, in the quiet of a call room if you are working (and a quick thanks to my colleagues for covering my inpatients this long weekend).

This week, there are no detailed descriptions nor commentary. I provide short summaries and an invitation to read one, two, or three of these longer pieces.

DG

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Reading of the Week: How Many Steps A Day to Avoid Depression? The New Lancet Study; Also, TikTok & Med Records and Lieberman on ChatGPT Therapy

August 14, 2025 /

From the Editor

How much exercise is enough to prevent illness?

In the first selection, Ding Ding (of The University of Sydney) and her co-authors attempt to answer that question in a new, clever study for The Lancet Public Health. They did a systematic review and meta-analysis involving 57 studies that looked at daily step count and health outcomes, including depression. “Although 10 000 steps per day can still be a viable target for those who are more active, 7 000 steps per day is associated with clinically meaningful improvements in health outcomes and might be a more realistic and achievable target for some.” We consider the paper and its implications.

5 787 more steps needed?

In the second selection, Isabelle Toler and Lindsey Grubbs (both of Case Western Reserve University) look at medical records and language in a paper for The New England Journal of Medicine. In a unique approach, they observe themes in the TikTok videos of patients who are frustrated by what their physicians have written about them. “In the context of a system of medical documentation in which patients have little power to shape their own narratives, clinicians should respect the channels they have chosen to use to share their stories and listen to the messages they convey.”

And in the third selection, psychologist Harvey Lieberman reflects on therapy and ChatGPT in an essay for The New York Times. As a therapist and an octogenarian, he is skeptical of the therapeutic aspects of ChatGPT – but, with use, he partly changes his mind. “I concluded that ChatGPT wasn’t a therapist, although it sometimes was therapeutic. But it wasn’t just a reflection, either.”

Note: there will be no Reading next week.

DG

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Reading of the Week: VR-Assisted Therapy – the New Lancet Psych Paper; Also, Genetic Variations & Psychosis and Dr. Sundar on Patients With Answers

August 7, 2025 /

From the Editor

Even with medications, the voices tormented him. My patient explained that his every move was commented on.

In avatar therapy, patients engage audiovisual representations of their voices, with the goal of reducing their influence. In the first selection, a new paper from Lancet Psychiatry, Lisa Charlotte Smith (of the University of Copenhagen) and her co-authors look at a new form of avatar therapy, with an immersive 3D experience. In this RCT, participants had enhanced usual care or the therapy; the severity of auditory hallucinations was then measured at 12 weeks. “Challenge-VRT showed short-term efficacy in reducing the severity of auditory verbal hallucinations in patients with schizophrenia, and the findings support further development and evaluation of immersive virtual reality-based therapies in this population.” We consider the paper and its implications.

In the second selection, Dr. Mark Ainsley Colijn (of the University of Calgary) writes about psychosis and rare genetic variation. In a Canadian Journal of Psychiatry paper – part of the new Clinician’s Corner series – he offers suggestions for antipsychotic meds. “When providing care for individuals with psychosis occurring on the background of rare genetic variation, psychiatrists should take the time to educate themselves accordingly to ensure the safe and rational prescribing of antipsychotic medications in this population.”

And in the third selection, from JAMA, Dr. Kumara Raja Sundar (of Kaiser Permanente Washington) comments on patients who use ChatGPT. The author, a family doctor, notes that many physicians can be paternalistic – but he urges against that instinct. “If patients are arming themselves with information to be heard, our task as clinicians is to meet them with recognition, not resistance. In doing so, we preserve what has always made medicine human: the willingness to share meaning, uncertainty, and hope, together.”

DG

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Reading of the Week: Something Old & Something New – With Papers from World Psychiatry and Lancet Psychiatry

July 31, 2025 /

From the Editor

He was keen to discuss his new therapist who introduced him to CBT concepts and noted his negative thoughts. The therapist was helpful and thoughtful – but not human. My patient was using an AI chatbot.

More and more patients are looking to AI for information and therapy. What to make of it all? And what is the role of other cutting-edge innovations? In the first selection, Dr. John Torous (of Harvard University) and his co-authors attempt to answer these questions in a new review for World Psychiatry. They focus on, yes, generative AI, as well as apps and virtual reality. The review is sparkling and comprehensive, stretching over 11 000 words and with 269 references. “New tools such as LLMs have rapidly emerged, while relatively older ones such as smartphone apps and virtual reality have quickly expanded. While each tool has offered evidence of clinical impact, broad real-world impact remains aloof for all.” We consider the paper and its implications.

Made with ChatGPT

In this week’s other selection, Dr. Robert M. Post (of The George Washington University) and his co-authors write about lithium in a new Lancet Psychiatry paper. They offer a fresh take on this old medication; they argue that it is a disease-modifying agent, like monoclonal antibodies for multiple sclerosis. “Conceptualisation of lithium as a disease-modifying agent might help to increase clinical use by doctors, especially early in the disease course to better serve our patients.”

DG

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Reading of the Week: Physicians, Heal Thyselves – the New Nature Study; Also, Med Student Mental Health and Rodriguez on Her Depression & Healing

July 24, 2025 /

From the Editor

Today, we talk more about physician mental health problems than even a few years ago. But what would meaningful action look like? What are the evidence-based interventions?

Katherine Petrie (of the University of New South Wales) and her co-authors attempt to answer these questions in a new Nature Mental Health paper. They did a systematic review and meta-analysis by examining 24 studies involving almost 2 400 practicing physicians. “Our results indicate that a range of physician-directed interventions produce positive effects on symptoms of common mental disorders and that these moderate effects are maintained over time (up to 12 months).” We consider the paper and its implications.

In the second selection, from BMJ Mental Health, Yusen Zhai (of The University of Alabama) and co-authors draw on US survey data to look at trends of clinically significant anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and service utilization among medical students. The findings are troubling. “This study reveals a rising prevalence of clinically significant anxiety and depression self-reported by US medical students from 2018 to 2023.”

Finally, in the third selection, Ph.D. candidate Alexandra K. Rodriguez discusses her struggles with severe depression when she attended medical school. In a personal essay for PLOS Mental Health, she speaks about her recovery and the power of the arts. “When I dealt with suicidality, I could not conceptualize a future, let alone one with meaning. Sharing time creating with friends and singing lyrics that resonated with me helped me reframe my lowest period as an inflection point, one from which I could envision both fulfillment and joy.”

DG

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Reading of the Week: Antidepressant Discontinuation – the New JAMA Psych Study; Also, Obesity Meds and Nazaryan on His Father’s Depression

July 17, 2025 /

From the Editor

“New Research Questions Severity of Withdrawal From Antidepressants”

– The New York Times

“Antidepressant Pullback Symptoms Fewer Than Thought, Study Shows”

–  Bloomberg

Millions of North Americans take antidepressants – about one in seven Canadians – yet these medications remain controversial. A 2019 Lancet Psychiatry study, which drew heavily from online surveys, found that roughly half of patients who quit these meds experienced severe withdrawal symptoms, sparking much debate – and many, many questions from our patients.

How common are discontinuation symptoms? Which one is most commonly experienced? Michail Kalfas (of King’s College London) and his co-authors attempt to answer these questions with a new JAMA Psychiatry paper. They did a systematic review and meta-analysis by analyzing 50 studies involving almost 18 000 people. “This systematic review and meta-analysis indicated that the mean number of discontinuation symptoms at week 1 after stopping antidepressants was below the threshold for clinically significant discontinuation syndrome.” We consider the paper and its implications.

Celebrities use them; politicians discuss them; our patients ask about them. Are semaglutide and sister drugs game changers for those with mental health problems who struggle with obesity? To explore the opportunities and challenges of these new medications, in a new episode of Quick Takes, I speak with Dr. Mahavir Agarwal (of the University of Toronto), Lisa Schaefer (of Obesity Canada), and Dr. Sanjeev Sockalingam (of the University of Toronto). “Imagine a world where you have all the effects of antipsychotics, but none of the side effects.”

Finally, in the third selection, journalist Alexander Nazaryan discusses his father’s mental illness and its impact on his life. In a deeply personal essay for The New York Times, he notes the long shadow of illness. “My father never got to become a famous physicist or see his son go to M.I.T. Worse, he couldn’t ask for help until it was too late.”

DG

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