Stigma Against Psychiatric Medication Stops People From Seeking Treatment

NAMI writes about a study released by the Indiana Consortium for Mental Health Services at Indiana University, Bloomington that shows that stigma is still a big problem for people who are seeking treatment. Some highlights from the study:

• Approximately two-thirds of participants said psychiatric drugs do help people with mental health issues deal with day-to-day anxiety, control their symptoms, and improve family relationships;
• Just 56 percent said they would be willing to take medication to alleviate panic attacks;
• 41 percent would do so if they were diagnosed with depression;
• And only about a third would be willing to take them for personal troubles or stress.

Link to the NAMI article

Is Medicating at the First Sign of Psychosis Always Right?

Prescribing anti-psychotic medications at the first sign of illness has often been presented as the responsible and ethical way to treat schizophrenia. An article in today’s New York Times presents some arguments against this approach. Some patients with milder symptoms may be able to function without medication. In addition, the drugs used to treat schizophrenia have serious side effects: tardive dyskinesia for older drugs and significant weight gain and increased risk for diabetes for the newer drugs.

I think the final quote of the article sums up the issue best:

“My bottom line is that this is a very challenging illness, every patient is different, and we need more research to inform decisions about how to individualize care,” said Dr. John Kane, chairman of the psychiatry department at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, N.Y.

With certain patients, he added, “We have to be very careful about making blanket statements about which treatment is best.”