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Media coverage of mental health

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.

The same newspaper did a rather better job of reporting on new research on LSD which may result in better drugs for schizophrenia.

There's a piece in the LA times about the side-effects associated with antidepressants. What's perhaps most interesting is the contrast it reveals in attitudes to antidepressants on different sides of the Atlantic.

The story states: "Most in the psychiatric profession would counter that antidepressants overwhelmingly save lives, and salvage those hobbled by sadness and anxiety."

Having just researched a feature for Community Care on antidepressants, I don't think that's the position here. It appears the consensus in the UK is that the drugs are only suitable for the most severe depression and alternative approached such as exercise and talking treatments are more effective for less serious cases.

Finally, there's a shocking story in the Bournemouth Echo about a man forcibly drugged in a mental health unit without any medical justification.

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This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on February 25, 2008 3:29 PM.

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