February 2008 Archives

There's a long and learned review in Spiked of three books which consider mental illness.

I thought it might be useful to have a look round for some of the reactions to this week's research on the effectiveness of antidepressants.

Particularly interesting is the response from the US, which is generally more favourable to medication than the UK. Here's a quote from a Washington Post story

Dr. Nada Stotland, president-elect of the American Psychiatric Association, said she wasn't surprised that the study found that not every antidepressant works for every patient. Many people who are depressed don't respond to the first antidepressant they try. It can take up to an average of three different antidepressants until one works for a particular patient, she said.

After the huge news of the antidepressants research yesterday, it was always going to be a bit of a comedown news-wise today.

However, Rethink points out that the government is still spending ten times more on antidepressants than it is on its new talking therapies programme. It seems to me that a shift is in order.

Research published today confirms what many have suspected for some time, that antidepressants are no better than placebo for most people suffering from depression.

The media has probably improved the way it covers mental health but there are still examples of where it does it very badly. Take this letter to the Herald Newspaper in Scotland pointing out the inappropriateness of the newspaper joining together a story about patient numbers in a local psychiatric ward with completely unconnected story about paedophiles.

by Keith Sellick

Last week, Radio Four’s book of the week was J G Ballard’s autobiography.

Novelist Ballard is better known for Empire of the Sun, his novel about childhood in a Japanese prisoner of war camp (and made into a film) in which a child’s sympathies and morality are distorted by the experience of war. However there are two other novels that may be of interest.

There's a great piece on the Washington Post about how drugs and the medical model do not hold all the answers when it comes to mental illness.

by Keith Sellick

Lib dem leader Nick Clegg thinks so . He points to the lack of services, long waiting lists and over-reliance on pills. “Pills must not be a crutch for the wider issues in our society which cause mental health problems."

I didn't get to watch the whole of the Wonderland programme last night on BBC2 but I think I saw enough of it to get a general gist.

A programme on BBC2 tonight, part of the Wonderland series, will follow a man with a personality disorder who has "alienated every London care home that might possibly offer him a room and any kind of independent life."

There's a new book about women and mental health by Lisa Appignanesi and a comprehensive review in the Guardian.