Busting Myths about Psychosis & Antipsychotics

In this talk, Dr. Moncrieff will look at the evidence behind some common myths relating to psychosis and ‘antipsychotic’ drugs. First, she will look at evidence for the idea that psychosis or ‘schizophrenia’ are neurodegenerative conditions; next she will survey the evidence on the concept of the ‘untreated duration of psychosis’ and whether early drug treatment produces better outcomes. Then she shall look at the famous dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia and psychosis, and finally she will look at evidence for the idea that antipsychotics work by targeting an underlying biological mechanism that produces psychotic symptoms. Dr Moncrieff will consider the extent to which commercial and professional interests have influenced the conduct and interpretation of scientific research in these areas.

About the presenter:

Dr. Moncrief is a Professor of Critical and Social Psychiatry at University College London, and also works as a consultant psychiatrist in the NHS in London in a community mental health team. She has researched and written about the over-use and misrepresentation of psychiatric drugs and about the history, politics and philosophy of psychiatry more generally for several decades now. She has been leading UK government-funded research on reducing and discontinuing antipsychotic drug treatment (the RADAR study), and collaborating on a study to support antidepressant discontinuation. In the 1990s Dr. Moncrieff co-founded the Critical Psychiatry Network to link up with other, like-minded psychiatrists. She has written numerous scientific papers and several books including A Straight Talking Introduction to Psychiatric Drugs Second edition (PCCS Books), published in September 2020, as well as The Bitterest Pills: The Troubling Story of Antipsychotic Drugs (2013) and The Myth of the Chemical Cure (2009) (Palgrave Macmillan). Her website is https://joannamoncrieff.com/ Twitter handle @joannamoncrieff

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