A new study has revealed that antidepressants and other psychotropic medications are taking the place of psychotherapy and other therapeutic forms of treatment for emotional problems. The LA Times is reporting that the number of individuals receiving psychotherapy has dropped by more than 14% since 1996. During the same time period, the use of antidepressant medications has increased sharply.
Researchers point out that insurance companies and HMOs often favor medications rather than therapy because of the reduced cost to the insurance carrier, and the lower incidence of side effects among modern psychotropic drugs.
The study shows that there is a clear trend toward the “medicalization” of emotional disturbances, and away from the view of mental illness as a process of the mind which can be improved by making more productive personal decisions. Many critics charge that the trend toward antidepressants and away from therapy is encouraging a culture of “victims,” where individuals increasingly perceive their well-being and state of mind as something which is outside of their control.
The research was conducted with data provided by the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, which anonymously tracks the characteristics of patients, diagnoses and treatment options. The survey analyzed data from more than 14,000 psychiatric office visits over a period of 10 years.
The number of psychiatrists who provide psychotherapy options for their patients decreased by nearly 11% during the 10 year period. Not surprisingly, the statistics also showed that wealthy patients were far more likely to take advantage of psychotherapy than those of limited means.
But the study also pointed out that the increased use of psychotropic drugs is being fueled in no small part by the “aggressive” marketing tactics of pharmaceutical companies. Both doctors and patients are being marketed to, and this approach has made antidepressants the second-largest class of pharmaceutical drugs sold in North America.
The report also showed that at least one area of the United States, the Northeast, showed a clear preference toward therapy and a resistance to the use of psychotropic medications. In other parts of the country the situation was reversed. The number of individuals “on” antidepressant medications in the Southeast United States has increased substantially since 1996, while the number of individuals undergoing psychotherapy decreased just as dramatically.
The findings of the study have some psychiatrist worried that mental health care in the United States is increasingly becoming a matter of simply “popping pills.” And while many health officials agree the psychotropic medications can be useful in some cases, they are certainly not a panacea for all emotional problems.
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