“A huge number of ‘bipolars’ are missed”

This letter has been published in the current edition of The BMJ:

Reading this letter my thoughts returned to a lecture given by Professor Allan Young at a Royal College of Psychiatrists, CPD-approved conference, in September 2014:

Professor Allan Young gave no declarations of interest in his speaker biography:

Professor Allan Young’s speaker biography demonstrates that he is a “key opinion leader”:

At the start of his talk Professor Allan Young put up this slide of his declarations of interest. Professor Allan Young did not talk through his declarations and the slide was not up long enough for the audience to read it through:

I recorded these quotes made by Professor Allan Young as given by him on 26 Sept 2014:

“For those of you who watch Panorama I do not give my consent for you to film this”

McQueen, 2011 “They missed out my trial” [Embolden trial]

“NICE, for not taking it into account at all [Embolden trial] is rather questionable”

“Quetiapine as a mood stabiliser is the Holy Grail for Bipolar Depression” commenting on work “adapted from Peters”:

“Major Depressive Disorder (“MDD”) will generally end up as Bipolar Disorder”

“A huge number of ‘bipolars’ are missed”

“SParCLE study demonstrated that Lithium is slower than Quetiapine”

Professor Allan Young’s “Key Points slide” for “the pharmacological management of Bipolar Depression”

The forthcoming 52nd Maudsley debate. The motion is “This house believes that long term use of psychiatric medications is causing more harm than good”. One of those arguing against the motion is Professor Allan Young