Tag: Australia

Reading of the Week: Controversies & Kids – Papers on Social Media Bans and Smartphone Restrictions; Also, Sexsomnia for Psychiatrists

July 2, 2026 /

From the Editor

Canada’s Parliament is debating a ban. Government officials are discussing similar measures in the UK, Poland, Denmark, and Malaysia. As more and more countries think about restricting kids from access to social media, the Australian experiment is interesting and important. In 2024, Australia passed legislation banning youth under the age of 16 years. 

But has the Australian law had an effect on use? In The BMJ, Courtney Barnes (of the University of Newcastle) and her co-authors attempt to answer that question with a prospective observational study. They analyzed survey data collected just before implementation and again three months after it, involving 408 youth. “Despite the intent of the Social Media Minimum Age Act 2024 to delay access to social media platforms and reduce the potential for online harms, little evidence was found of immediate substantive reductions in reported social media use by adolescents under 16 years.” We consider the study and its implications.

In the second selection, Maiara da Silva Martins (of Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul) and her co-authors focus on cellphone restriction in Brazil during the school day. In a letter published in Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, they report on a longitudinal study involving 1 643 students. “Our findings suggest that school-hour restrictions alone are insufficient to alter the trajectory of internalizing problems like anxiety and withdrawal.”

And in the third selection, from The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, Dr. Colin M. Shapiro (of the University of Toronto) and his colleagues write about sexsomnia. They note that the condition is more common than previously believed and offer some clinical tips. “For clinicians, the key point is that sexual behaviours during sleep can occur without conscious awareness and should be considered within the broader spectrum of parasomnias during clinical assessment.”

DG

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Reading of the Week: Clozapine & Neutropenia – the new Lancet Psych Paper; Also, a Letter to the Editor and Bialik on Mental Health

January 18, 2024 /

From the Editor

Clozapine is special.

Almost seven decades after its release, that statement – from a new Lancet Psychiatry Editorial – remains true. Clozapine is the best antipsychotic for those who are treatment refractory in their schizophrenia. But there is the risk of potentially life-threatening neutropenia. And so its use is clunky, with much blood work and monitoring, off-putting to some who would benefit from this medication.

Are we too cautious with clozapine? In the first selection, Dr. Korinne Northwood (of The University of Queensland) and her co-authors consider that question in a new Lancet Psychiatry paper. Drawing from a major clozapine database for Australia and New Zealand patients, they analyzed 32 years of data involving 2.6 million blood tests and looked at neutropenic events. “Our results support greater flexibility in prescribing of clozapine and a more balanced approach to risk…” We review the paper and mull its clinical implications.

Australia: cool architecture and good clozapine data

In the second selection, in a letter to the editor, Clement Ma and Dr. Peter Szatmari (both of the University of Toronto) write about the recent MST vs. ECT paper from JAMA Psychiatry. They offer some hesitation on the authors’ wording: “a non-significant result in a superiority trial does not imply that the two treatments are equivalent.”

And in the third selection, actress and former Jeopardy! host Mayim Bialik writes personally about her mental health problems for Trend Magazine. She describes the challenges of getting help and her decision to speak out. She also notes the societal shift in thinking about mental illness. “[S]haring our own personal struggles is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of strength. We all want to feel better, live better, and experience more joy and less suffering.”

DG

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Reading of the Week: Starbucks’ Big Mental Health Announcement, and More

October 13, 2016 /

From the Editor

Readings in recent weeks have drawn from several journals and a major autobiography.

Recognizing that mental health is increasingly part of our public and private conversations, we draw from newspapers and news sites this week.

image001Starbucks: fraps, breakfast sandwiches, and psychotherapy (for employees)

The decision of Starbucks to expand employee coverage for psychotherapy leads this week’s lineup.

We also consider the first Parliamentary speech of an Australian politician and a new British exhibit of old art – from asylums.

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Our New Paper: “Making Evidence-Based Psychotherapy More Accessible in Canada”

April 7, 2016 /

Happy to see that our paper has just been published (online first) in The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. And what a great project. My co-author, Dr. David Goldbloom, is a former supervisor from my training, a mentor, and a friend. Back in residency, we talked about a joint project – so glad that, after a few years, it happened.

As usual, I learned much from working with him.

You can find the paper here:

http://cpa.sagepub.com/content/early/2016/04/05/0706743716642416.full.pdf+html