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Joanna Moncrieff

@joannamoncrieff.bsky.social

660 followers 9 following 150 posts

Critical psychiatrist, professor at University College London and author. Views are my own.

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Joanna Moncrieff @joannamoncrieff.bsky.social · Nov 26

Good to be up on bsky. Following the storm of interest provoked by our 2022 review, I am pleased to announce the publication of my book telling the story of the serotonin theory of depression from the beginning to recent challenges. Due out Jan 2025. To pre-order lnk.to/chemicallyim...

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Joanna Moncrieff @joannamoncrieff.bsky.social · Aug 20

Looking forward to taking part in the HTLGI festival in Kenwood House, London, Sept 20-21st. The line up of amazing scientists, thinkers & political figures including Brain Cox, Roger Penrose, Alastair Campbell, Diane Abbott etc. Tickets howthelightgetsin.org/festivals/lo...

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Joanna Moncrieff @joannamoncrieff.bsky.social · Aug 20

Blog on the longstanding tendency to play down the dependence-inducing effects of psychiatric drugs, now playing out in two reviews that minimise antidepressant withdrawal effects based on flawed studies of short-term users www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/chem...

Antidepressant Withdrawal: Nothing to Worry About?

Recent reviews claim antidepressant withdrawal is clinically insignificant, but they are based on flawed and short-term studies. Minimizing withdrawal problems is worrying.

www.psychologytoday.com

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Reposted by Joanna Moncrieff

Martin Plöderl @ploederl.bsky.social · Jul 28

When Dr. Roussos-Ross pointed out the dangers of untreated depression, she left out the fact that antidepressants (ADs) have modest efficacy (as later pointed out by @joannamoncrieff.bsky.social ). Bc of the side effects, ADs are associated with a problematic harm-benefit ratio for the majority.

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Reposted by Joanna Moncrieff

Martin Plöderl @ploederl.bsky.social · Aug 2

Excellent summary of the ongoing controversy about antidepressant withdrawal issues by @joannamoncrieff.bsky.social

www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/chem...

Antidepressant Withdrawal: Nothing to Worry About?

Recent reviews claim antidepressant withdrawal is clinically insignificant, but they are based on flawed and short-term studies. Minimizing withdrawal problems is worrying.

www.psychologytoday.com

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Joanna Moncrieff @joannamoncrieff.bsky.social · Jul 22

I was honoured to take part in the FDA's panel on the risks of SSRIs in pregnancy yesterday along with other experts @fda.gov. This is a huge issue with so many young women taking these drugs. I hope the UK and other countries will listen to the evidence presented www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Nha...

FDA Expert Panel on Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Pregnancy

YouTube video by U.S. Food and Drug Administration

www.youtube.com

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Joanna Moncrieff @joannamoncrieff.bsky.social · Jul 22

It is worrying that leading psychiatrists have quoted the Henssler review regardless of these limitations (and the more recent Kalfas review) to reassure the public and called on the Royal College of Psychiatrists to weaken its advice on stopping antidepressants 4/n

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Joanna Moncrieff @joannamoncrieff.bsky.social · Jul 22

Only 5 studies in the Henssler AD withdrawal review (not 18 as claimed) used a relevant measure of withdrawal. These find 55% of people reported withdrawal symptoms after stopping antidepressant 3/n

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Joanna Moncrieff @joannamoncrieff.bsky.social · Jul 22

The vast majority of included studies in the Henssler AD withdrawal review were not designed to measure withdrawal and only recorded it incidentally among spontaneously reported ‘adverse events’. This is no basis for estimating prevalence 2/n

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Joanna Moncrieff @joannamoncrieff.bsky.social · Jul 22

Remember the 2024 Henssler review claiming only 1 in 6 have antidepressant withdrawal symptoms & 1 in 30 severe symptoms? Here we show it was based on highly unreliable data & can't be used to assess withdrawal effects @ploederl.bsky.social @markhoro.bsky.social 1/n www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Evidence on antidepressant withdrawal: an appraisal and reanalysis of a recent systematic review | Psychological Medicine | Cambridge Core

Evidence on antidepressant withdrawal: an appraisal and reanalysis of a recent systematic review - Volume 55

www.cambridge.org

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Joanna Moncrieff @joannamoncrieff.bsky.social · Jul 15

'Psychiatrists have been accused of downplaying the risks of antidepressant withdrawal in a new study' www.thecanary.co/global/world...

Big pharma-funded psychiatrists 'cosplaying science' in misleading antidepressant withdrawal study

The paper claims, with confidence, that withdrawal symptoms from antidepressants are minimal and easily managed. Not true.

www.thecanary.co

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Joanna Moncrieff @joannamoncrieff.bsky.social · Jul 15

Our rapid response in the BMJ highlights how the recent antidepressant withdrawal review confirms withdrawal effects with SSRIs and SNRIs but underestimates their significance due to relying on short-term trials and other methodological problems @ploederl.bsky.social www.bmj.com/content/390/...

Review underestimates antidepressant withdrawal effects

www.bmj.com

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Reposted by Joanna Moncrieff

Martin Plöderl @ploederl.bsky.social · Jul 14

Our rapid response to a summary of the new problematic antidepressant withdrawal study has been published, together with other interesting and important ones (e.g., by @markhoro.bsky.social ).
@joannamoncrieff.bsky.social

www.bmj.com

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Joanna Moncrieff @joannamoncrieff.bsky.social · Jul 14

Useful thread on this study

Martin Plöderl @ploederl.bsky.social · Jul 13

1. The important study by Rosenbaum et al.'s used a sample of pts who were on antidepressants for 4-12 months. Pts were randomized to placebo vs. continuation for 5-8 days. They did not report the diffs for SMD and MD bc the continuation sample was very small. So I calculated the results

Joanna Moncrieff @joannamoncrieff.bsky.social · Jul 13

Useful thread critiquing the recent review of antidepressant withdrawal

Martin Plöderl @ploederl.bsky.social · Jul 12

1. This new systematic review on withdrawal problems after stopping antidepressants (AD) already caused a lot of discussion. According to aggregated studies, stopping ADs caused about 1-2 additional withdrawal symptoms compared to continuation (or before stopping or a placebo control)
However ->

Incidence and Nature of Antidepressant Discontinuation Symptoms

This systematic review and meta-analysis examines the presence and incidence of discontinuation symptoms in individuals who stop taking antidepressants.

jamanetwork.com

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Reposted by Joanna Moncrieff

Martin Plöderl @ploederl.bsky.social · Jul 13

Occurrence of a discontinuation syndrome in the 5-8 day discontinuation period, defined by Rosenbaum et al. as 4+ withdrawal symptoms: 60% sertraline, 66%paroxetine, and 14% fluoxetine (which can serve as control group).
This conforms the ca. 50% occurrence, which was dismissed by Hayes 🤔

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Reposted by Joanna Moncrieff

Martin Plöderl @ploederl.bsky.social · Jul 13

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Reposted by Joanna Moncrieff

Martin Plöderl @ploederl.bsky.social · Jul 13

Also note that the SMD's for individual SSRI/SNRI's ranged between 0.39 and 0.68.
In the study of Rosenbaum, where patients were on antidepressants much longer (average ca. 11 months), the increase in DESS symptoms after stopping meds was 6 and 8 for sertraline and paroxetine, respectively.

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Reposted by Joanna Moncrieff

Martin Plöderl @ploederl.bsky.social · Jul 13

Besides the double standards, the main problem is that the result from the main analysis is based on short-term trials (ca 8w) except one 26w agomelatine trial. Not much withdrawal can be expected but was nonetheless observed - concerning! Most are on ADs much longer. Absurd conclusions!

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Joanna Moncrieff @joannamoncrieff.bsky.social · Jun 17

Thread on our response to Ghaemi and how Ghaemi's article became more hostile and pejorative after peer review

Martin Plöderl @ploederl.bsky.social · Jun 17

Remember the harsh reactions we faced after we published a meta-analysis about lithium's suicide preventive effects?
Out rebuttal to Nassir Ghaemi, who attacked us with inappropriate language (which should never have passed peer review) is now published.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Uncertainty about lithium and suicide: A response to Nassir Ghaemi - Joanna Moncrieff, Jacki Stansfeld, Lisa Wood, Martin Plöderl, 2025

journals.sagepub.com

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Joanna Moncrieff @joannamoncrieff.bsky.social · Jun 4

I'm looking forward to talking about Chemically Imbalanced in Harrogate at #BerwinsSalonNorth tomorrow evening. Tickets available here: harrogateinternationalfestivals.com/event/berwin... @harrogatefestivals.bsky.social

Sound Connections | Harrogate International Festivals

Book tickets for Sound Connections with Harrogate International Festivals online today!

harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

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Reposted by Joanna Moncrieff

Angela Welz @heartforward.bsky.social · Jun 3

There’s no strong evidence of a chemical imbalance behind depression, yet antidepressants are still pushed to serve pharma profits and uphold psychiatry’s medical image.

@joannamoncrieff.bsky.social's compelling interview.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcBu...

This Psychiatrist Says Chemical Imbalance is a LIE

YouTube video by Dr. Josef

www.youtube.com

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Reposted by Joanna Moncrieff

Mad in America @mad-in-america.bsky.social · Jun 4

Liberation Psychology Gains Ground in a Fractured World

As crises of displacement and inequality intensify, more scholars are turning to Liberation Psychology’s commitment to structural change.

By Micah Ingle, PhD

www.madinamerica.com/2025/06/libe...

Liberation Psychology Gains Ground in a Fractured World

As crises of displacement and inequality intensify, more scholars are turning to Liberation Psychology’s commitment to structural change.

www.madinamerica.com

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Joanna Moncrieff @joannamoncrieff.bsky.social · May 28

I am looking forward to giving the Sowerby anniversary public lecture at the Philosophy and Medicine conference in London next Tuesday 3rd June at 4pm. The event is open to everyone, please come along. www.tickettailor.com/events/sower...

Select tickets – Sowerby Project 10 Year Anniversary Public Lecture: Joanna Moncrieff – King’s College London, Lecture Theatre 1 Bush House, Strand

We are delighted to be welcoming renowned British Psychiatrist Joanna Moncrieff at King’s College London on the 3rd June where...

www.tickettailor.com

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Joanna Moncrieff @joannamoncrieff.bsky.social · May 28

This data suggests use of antidepressants may be decreasing a bit in the US - not before time! psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/...

Psychotherapy Trends in the United States | American Journal of Psychiatry

Objective: The authors investigated recent national trends in outpatient mental health care and psychotherapy. Method: Service data from four representative surveys of the U.S. household population, t...

psychiatryonline.org

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Joanna Moncrieff @joannamoncrieff.bsky.social · May 28

I enjoyed my trip to the How The Light Gets In festival
in Hay. My talk was packed out and there were was a good discussion. The festival was a great combination of serious debate and fun

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