Abstract
Over the past few years, I have reconsidered the evidence base for psychotropic medications. Although not widely publicized or recognized, persuasive evidence suggests that psychotropic medications are less effective and more harmful than most believe. This is an emotionally charged topic that threatens the professional identity and livelihood of many individuals, leading to cognitive dissonance and cognitive biases of which we may be unaware. Personally, I experienced distress and cognitive dissonance in response to this new information, and I have begun to change my research goals and other professional activities as a result. I encourage others to: (a) examine divergent bodies of research literature and your reactions to this literature; and (b) be empathic when discussing and writing about these topics. If we can engage in open-minded, critical self-assessment and discourse, then we may ultimately improve how we care for each other during times of distress and suffering.
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Notes
The irony is not lost on me that this paper is a case study of sorts that may not be very convincing to you. As I stated in the introduction, my only goals are to encourage you to delve further into the literature with an open mind and discuss empathically with others.
This is not a complete list of resources that contain divergent views of psychotropic medication or mental health more broadly. These resources have been most useful to me. I welcome learning about additional resources.
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Acknowledgments
I would like to thank friend and colleague, Mariaelena Bartesaghi, PhD, for inviting me to write this article and for her editorial contributions. I also would like to thank Amy J. Berman, BS, RN, Gary P. Epstein-Lubow, MD, and Brandon A. Gaudiano, PhD, who provided helpful feedback on earlier drafts. Acknowledging their efforts does not imply their endorsement or agreement with my statements in this manuscript.
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I received no funding related to writing this article. I have no conflicts of interest (financial or otherwise) involving the references I cited or recommended for further reading. The one conflict of interest involves my interests in psychotherapy and behavioral interventions. It benefits my guild (psychology) to promote the use of behavioral interventions. Also, I have received payment to train clinicians in problem-solving therapy, and I have done research on the effectiveness and delivery of behavioral interventions (funded by pilot grants from my university and the Retirement Research Foundation).
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Gum, A.M. Changing my mind: one professor’s story of rethinking psychotropic medication. J Med Pers 13, 187–193 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12682-015-0213-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12682-015-0213-x