The debate continues to rage about whether psychiatric medications work. This controversy especially has brewed about antidepressants and antipsychotic medications, some of the most widely used medications in the world. An important study just published in the British Journal of Psychiatry sheds light (not just makes for heat and wind) on this vital subject.
In a carefully constructed research study called a meta-analysis (where the results of many studies are examined to answer specific questions), the authors provide (in their words) "The first ... panoramic overview of major drugs." They looked at 48 different drugs used to treat 20 general medical diseases and 16 different drugs used to treat eight psychiatric diseases. The researchers concluded that the psychiatric drugs, overall, were as effective as those used in general medicine.
Their research approach was to select a specific disease and then look at rigorous studies on the response of that disease to medications commonly used to treat it. Examples for general medical diseases included:
Some other common diseases (and their treatments) they reviewed included hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and rheumatoid arthritis.
The researchers also asked, and answered:
They also reported on treatments for panic disorder and Alzheimer's disease.
While some individual drugs for (a few) medical conditions outperformed the psychiatric drugs they studied (and a few did not perform as well!), as a whole the two groups were about the same in terms of their efficacy.
The authors also noted that the benefits of medications can accrue over time -- a reminder that continuous (ongoing) treatment makes more of a difference. This is a message for patients, families and policymakers alike.
All medications have side-effects and risks, not only benefits. Informed patients and their families need to carefully weigh, and discuss with their doctor, risks and benefits when making decisions about their health, including the use of medications.
It is important for those affected by psychiatric illnesses to see this research. When it comes to benefits, psychiatric medications hold their own when compared with general medical medications in the treatment of a great number of diseases that affect so many people.
References:
[1] Stefan Leucht, Sandra Hierl, Werner Kissling, Markus Dold and John M. Davis. "Putting the efficacy of psychiatric and general medicine medications into perspective: review of meta-analyses." The British Journal of Psychiatry 2012, 200:97-106.
The opinions expressed here are solely mine as a psychiatrist and public health advocate. I receive no support from any pharmaceutical or device company.
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my child's depression symptoms were completely cured after only 3 weeks of targeted nutritional therapy
Steroids actually make allergies ans asthma worse and they have a ridulous number of side effects such as ruining the immune system , adrenal exaustion, osteoporosis, depression that are usually much worse then the symptoms they are used to treat.
Aspirin is used for arthritis but it actually hastens destruction of joints.
You have about the same chance of being alive seven years after a breast cancer diagnosis whether or not you get chemotherapy. As far as psychiatric meds , you might want to look at www.antidepressantsfacts.com and books by Glenmullen and Breggin before you try them
A great book to read is 'Why Does My Body Feel this Way'? It explains how to work on making your symptoms less worse. Yes, it endorses Shaklee (mostly), a company they prefer. However, Shaklee has been around for 50+ years, and is a safe company, vs. what is on the shelves these days.
Did you know the FDA only requires 10% of what the bottle says to be in the bottle for stuff you buy off the rack? It is full of pesticides and poison, and just by doing research, you'd be horrified by what is out there, being encouraged as 'healthy' or 'nutritious'.
i'm sorry, though, but asthma, bipolar disorder, cancer, and schizophrenia need medication, point blank. i do think that there is room for alternative therapies or herbal or dietary changes that would help in conjunction with traditional medicine.
It said Drugs prescribed but unavailable!
Once the right medication was on board, it was amazing. It was as though I could finally USE the talk therapy I had been working through the past couple years. One did not work without the other.
I and my son have an excellent medical plan. I took my son to therapy years ago and it helped. When he broke his tibia, the total cost of everything was $27,000, nearly all covered.
Drugs are overprescribed in this country because the pharmaceutical industry has a vested interest in doing so. It DOES take, sometimes, billions of dollars to develop a drug and they have to get that money back. But are doctors complicit in this? Yes. Why? Because they have waaaay too many patients to see. Why is that? Because the reimbursement rates have gone down dramatically.
I am on 8 to l0 medications for my disease at any given time. One costs $490/month. The others are generic and I think have ceased to function adequately, yet still my internist says 'take them'. As a former surgeon, I know better and decided not to take them.
You, as a patient, HAVE TO ASK QUESTIONS of every drug you are prescribed. It is your body and doctors are not gods.
I agree with your assessment. And forgive the typo. I mean to say "...and I think THEY have ceased..."
I've had three good, very good o.r. nurses, one of whom went with me to Iraq for two years. Nurses are the BACKBONE or any surgical team, especially trauma surgery. Which is why I gave $l0K every Christmas to my team members, the nurses, that is. The docs made enough.
Thank you for your post. Most cogent.