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The public debate on psychotropic medication and changes in attitudes 1990–2011

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Abstract

Over the last 25 years, the appraisal of psychotropic drugs within the scientific community and their representation in the media has changed considerably. The initial optimism in the wake of the introduction of second-generation drugs has increasingly made room for a more critical evaluation of alleged advantages of these drugs. The question arises as to what extent this is reflected in similar changes in the public’s attitudes towards psychiatric medication. Three representative population surveys on attitudes towards psychotropic medication were carried out in Germany in 1990 (N = 3075), 2001 (N = 2610) and 2011 (N = 1223), using the same sampling procedure, interview mode and instrument for assessing attitudes. In order to disentangle time-related effects, an age–period–cohort analysis was performed. Over the time period of 21 years, the German public’s evaluation of psychotropic medication has become markedly more favourable. This change was mostly due to a period effect, i.e. concurrent influences of the social environment people are exposed to. Changes were much more pronounced in the 1990s, while over the following decade only a small, although statistically significant, increase in the favourable appraisal of medication was found. Age and birth cohort had only a minor effect on public attitudes. Our findings suggest that changes in the evaluation of the effects of psychotropic drugs within the psychiatric community and their representation in the media also affect public opinion. Given the ongoing debate about side effects and efficacy of psychiatric medication, future changes of public opinion can be expected.

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Acknowledgments

The surveys in 1990 were funded by the Federal Ministry of Research and Technology (Az. 0701649) and Tropon Werke GmbH & CoKG, and those in 2001 and 2011 by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Az. AN 101/5-1) and Fritz-Thyssen-Stiftung (Az. 10.11.2.175), respectively.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Public Mental Health, Untere Zeile 13, 3482, Gösing am Wagram, Austria

    Matthias C. Angermeyer

  2. Department of Public Health, Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cittadella, Universitaria asse didattica E, Monserrato, CA, Italy

    Matthias C. Angermeyer & Mauro G. Carta

  3. Department of Psychiatry, University Medicine Greifswald, Ellernholzstr. 1-2, 17475, Greifswald, Germany

    Sandra Van der Auwera & Georg Schomerus

  4. Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health, University of Leipzig, Philipp-Rosenthal-Str. 55, 04103, Leipzig, Germany

    Herbert Matschinger

  5. Institute of Health Economics and Health Services Research, University of Hamburg, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany

    Herbert Matschinger

  6. Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauß-Allee 11, 93053, Regensburg, Germany

    Sebastian E. Baumeister

  7. HELIOS Hanseklinikum Stralsund, Große Parower Str. 47, 18435, Stralsund, Germany

    Georg Schomerus

Authors
  1. Matthias C. Angermeyer
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  2. Sandra Van der Auwera
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  3. Herbert Matschinger
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  5. Sebastian E. Baumeister
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Correspondence to Matthias C. Angermeyer.

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Conflict of interest

Matthias C. Angermeyer and Georg Schomerus have received lecturer fees from Lundbeck. All other authors have nothing to declare.

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Angermeyer, M.C., Van der Auwera, S., Matschinger, H. et al. The public debate on psychotropic medication and changes in attitudes 1990–2011. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 266, 165–172 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-015-0660-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-015-0660-7

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