Investigational Treatments

Many investigational and unconventional treatments have been tried in psychiatry. Some have been promising in small clinical trials, but have not panned out in larger studies.

• The Independent: Open Dialogue: The radical new treatment having life-changing effects on people's mental health
• Freeman, A. M., Tribe, R. H., Stott, J. C., & Pilling, S. (2019). Open dialogue: a review of the evidence. Psychiatric Services, 70(1), 46-59.

• Zuschlag, Z. D., Lalich, C. J., Short, E. B., Hamner, M., & Kahn, D. A. (2016). Pyrotherapy for the Treatment of Psychosis in the 21st Century: A Case Report and Literature Review. Journal of Psychiatric Practice®, 22(5), 410-415.
• Janssen, C. W., Lowry, C. A., Mehl, M. R., Allen, J. J., Kelly, K. L., Gartner, D. E., ... & Fridman, A. (2016). Whole-body hyperthermia for the treatment of major depressive disorder: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA psychiatry, 73(8), 789-795.
  • Neuroskeptic: Hyperthermia as an Antidepressant? (Updated)

• Wagemaker, H., Rogers, J. L., & Cade, R. (1984). Schizophrenia, hemodialysis, and the placebo effect: Results and issues. Archives of general psychiatry, 41(8), 805-810.

• van der Lely, A. J., Foeken, K., van der Mast, R. C., & Lamberts, S. W. (1991). Rapid reversal of acute psychosis in the Cushing syndrome with the cortisol-receptor antagonist mifepristone (RU 486). Annals of internal medicine, 114(2), 143-144.
• Block, T., Kushner, H., Kalin, N., Nelson, C., Belanoff, J., & Schatzberg, A. Combined Analysis of Mifepristone for Psychotic Depression; Plasma Levels Associated with Clinical Response. Biological Psychiatry.