Mental Health Blogs

Earlier this month, I noted that Washington University psychiatry professor Joan Luby appeared to have possible unreported conflicts of interest on three separate papers, including one on “early childhood depression” that appeared in this month’s issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry. I queried the AJP’s editor and the American Psychiatric Association about the situation, asking if they look into the matter and make whatever correction was appropriate. I got no reply from either the editor or the APA’s press office.

Luby had reportedly received monies from AstraZeneca in 2003 and 2004. AZ makes Seroquel, an atypical antipsychotic that is being widely used off-label in children (and adults) as a treatment for depression and agitation. Since Luby’s research bailiwick is so-called preschool bipolar disorder and preschool depression the AZ monies would seem to be worthy of disclosure, as might be monies she also reportedly got from Shire (makers of Adderall) and Janssen/J&J, makers of Risperdal. When I queried Luby about all of this I got no reply.

Yesterday, I again queried the AJP’s editor and the APA’s press office on the matter. I also copied APA president Alan Schatzberg.

So far, I’ve gotten no answer from any of them.

What a contrast to the response from the editor of the Archives of General Psychiatry, who pledged to look into possible non-disclosure problems with a Luby paper published in his journal in August.

I’m not sure what the AJP and APA’s problem is, but they appear to not care very much about the proper reporting of financial conflicts in their journal. Their silence speaks volumes.

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Related posts:

1. AMA Journal To Investigate Unreported Conflicts In Article, AJP Silent
2. No Answer From Journal, AMA
3. More Possible Non-Disclosures For Depression In 3-Year-Olds Researcher
4. Psych Researcher Who Claimed 3-Year-Olds Get Depression May Have Undisclosed Industry Ties
5. Academic Researchers Fail To Report Conflicts