Conversion disorder—now termed Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) —has long been viewed through a pessimistic lens, particularly when symptoms persist over time. A major 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis in BMJ Neurology Open  challenges that assumption by examining whether symptom chronicity actually limits treatment response . Drawing on 63 studies (27 included in meta-analyses, 885 patients), the authors evaluated outcomes across functional motor disorders,...

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has long been recognized as a powerful tool for treatment-resistant mood disorders, but its impact on long-term survival has remained a subject of clinical debate. A comprehensive new systematic review and meta-analysis published in BMJ Mental Health  provides clear evidence that ECT is associated with a 30% reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality  among patients with severe unipolar or bipolar depression. This protective effect was found

The Hidden Risks of Dose Escalation A new nationwide register-based study from Finland offers a sobering look at how often new benzodiazepine prescriptions spiral into high-dose usage. Following nearly 50,000 adults who initiated treatment in 2006, researchers tracked their usage patterns over five years and found that dose escalation is alarmingly common. While clinical guidelines universally recommend keeping doses low and durations short, the study revealed that 25.5% of

A significant new meta-analysis published in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica  has cast a stark light on a major health disparity: the survival gap for cancer patients who have pre-existing severe mental disorders (SMD). Analyzing data across 25 major studies, researchers determined that patients with pre-existing SMD face a 37% higher relative risk of dying from cancer compared to the general population. Crucially, the study found that this risk is most pronounced for individu