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¶ … psychotherapeutic drugs overprescribed for treating mental illness?
Pros
With the development of SSRIs such as Prozac, some psychotherapists proclaimed the end of depression and there were even concerns that such drugs would change the human character by making treatment of the illness too easy. Now, after many years after the birth of Prozac, it is clear that no antidepressant is a silver bullet when it comes to eliminating a particular mental health problem. In fact, the concerns are that SSIRs and other drugs commonly used to treat depression are substantially less effective than their manufacturers claim. "An analysis of all FDA clinical trials for four SSRI antidepressants found that the drugs didn't perform significantly better than placebos in treating mild or moderate depression, and the benefits of the drugs were "relatively small even for severely depressed patients" (PLoS Medicine, 2008, cited by Smith 2012:36). Even studies which indicate a more optimistic view of the potential uses of antidepressants suggest that antidepressants must be combined with cognitive behavioral therapy for the most effective method. However, lower rates of reimbursement for talk therapy vs. medication from insurance companies have clearly had an impact in skewing the debate in favor of greater prescribing of antidepressants to the exclusion of other treatments. Not only is this less effective, but it raises concerns because antidepressants are not without their side effects, including weight...
Antipsychotics, once reserved for a relatively small percentage of the severely mentally ill, have also escalated rapidly in prescription rates, thanks to the development of new drugs by pharmaceutical companies and also to more aggressive marketing campaigns. "The use of second-generation antipsychotics nearly tripled from 1995 to 2008…Of particular concern is the prescribing of antipsychotic drugs to vulnerable populations, including foster care children and elderly nursing home residents. Foster children are up to four-and-a-half times more likely to receive psychotropic drugs than other children covered by Medicaid" (Smith 2012: 36). Antipsychotics have long-term, sometimes irreversible side effects such as tremors, extreme weight gain, and diabetes.
Con
However, there are those who dispute that psychotropic drugs are being over-prescribed at a notably higher rate than before. Bruce M. Cohen, in his article "Mind and medicine: Drug treatments for psychiatric illnesses" suggests that because a number of substances, spanning from foods to illegal drugs to hormonal imbalances can have effects upon mood, the notion that psychotropic drugs can likewise have a…
References
Cohen, B. (2001). Mind and medicine: Drug treatments for psychiatric illness. Social Research.
Hershel, J., Kayne, J., Jick, S. (2004). Antidepressants and the risk of suicidal behaviors.
JAMA, 292(3):338-343. .
McHenry, L. (2006). Ethical issues in psychopharmacology. Journal of Medical Ethics.
http://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/06/prescribing.aspx
Psychotropic Drugs for Children and Teens should changes be made to regulations for mental health drugs to minors? TWO (2) pages Identify topic explain (2) reasons. Include a defensible, relevant thesis statement paragraph. Describe (3) major characteristics audience (official position, decision-making power, current view topic, important characteristics) Describe paper's scope outline major sections. Should changes be made in regulations governing mental health drugs for minors? It seems paradoxical: the very drug intended to
Psychotropic Drugs In most cases, counselors will be working with clients who have been prescribed psychotropic drugs to treat their emotional or behavioral issues. Psychotropic drugs are prescribed by healthcare providers to assist clients deal with issues like anxiety and depression. There are several challenges and advantages of working with a client who is being treated with medication like psychotropic drugs. One of these advantages is that medication has a positive
The government regulating of drugs use is one of those elements which are somewhat affected by such an approach. The government regulates both illegal and legal drugs in order to both maximize profits for American companies and minimize profits for foreign capitol. There are strict regulations on pharmaceuticals within the country. Also, many people posit money leaving American hands as a major underlying cause of the government's regulations of
Abusing illegal drugs can give rise to crime and violence, even if they are used in an allegedly positive way to 'open up' and 'free' the mind. Even overusing antibiotics, and insisting upon taking them even though one's disease is likely caused by a virus can cause a rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and can impact general human health. However, refusing to take certain medical treatments, such as refusing to
What further makes interpretation of results difficult to precisely define quantify is that the amount of drug stores depends on the nature of the drug itself, the duration of the ingestion of the drug, and the composition of the tissue holding the drug and the frequency of use. The greater the incidence of drug use the more permanent the level of toxins and chemicals in tissues throughout the body,
VIII. Preliminary Literature Review The work of Martin, Scahill, Klin and Volkmar (1999) entitled: "Higher-Functioning Pervasive Developmental Disorders: Rates and Patterns of Psychotropic Drugs Use" reports a study in which the frequency, characteristics and associated target symptoms of psychotropic drug use among individuals with developmental disorders and specifically those with "higher functioning pervasive developmental disorders. (HFPDDs) in a total of 109 children, adolescents and adults results show that 55% of these