 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
Medical Forum / General / Alternative / May 2006End Of The 'Prozac Nation' - More Counselling, More Therapy, Less Medication To Treat Depression, UK
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=43363 [Once again...other countries have more sense than the US] People suffering from depression will be able to have better access to counselling and talking therapies under a major new programme announced today by UK Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt. At the moment many people with mild to moderate depression find it difficult to access talking therapies, with services patchily spread across the country. This is despite clinical evidence showing that better access to therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can help cure depression and reduce time off work due to ill-health. Patients also prefer to receive talking therapies rather than medication. The programme, announced today by Patricia Hewitt in a speech to the National Mental Health Partnership Conference, consists of two demonstration sites in Doncaster and Newham, which will be linked to a regional network of local improvement programmes. The two demonstration sites will bring together key programmes in the NHS, voluntary sector and local employers to test various models that can be implemented nationally. Announcing the launch of the programme today, Miss Hewitt said: "Millions of people suffer from mild to moderate mental health problems, and treating them takes up about a third of GPs' time. Too many people are prescribed medication as a quick fix solution, but talking therapies work equally well and patients prefer to receive them. "We know that people in work have better health than those out of work and the Choosing Health White Paper made clear that work matters - it can improve your mental and physical health, reduce health inequalities and improve life chances for people and their families. "I hope that these pilot sites will provide real, tangible evidence of the effectiveness of investing in talking therapies. They will help break the cycle of deprivation, where poor health leads to unemployment and wasted lives as people fail to reach their full potential." Rethink chief executive Cliff Prior said: "This could be the beginning of a dramatic advance in mental health. We know from our members that there is a huge demand for talking therapies. We also know that there is already a strong evidence base to support these types of interventions. We hope that the pilot sites will report quickly and positively so that this initiative can become a full national programme available to everyone who needs it." Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind, said: "Mind has long been campaigning for a wider choice of therapies, including talking therapies, to be readily available on the NHS for all who need them. We hope that these pilot schemes will be a first step towards making this a reality, and look forward to the scheme's extension to cover the whole population. "We are delighted to finally see delivery of pilot schemes for these urgently needed alternative treatments to medication, now advocated by several NICE guidelines as frontline treatments. Giving people the chance to learn coping strategies and self-management techniques can help reduce the risk of mental health problems returning later on." Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health chief executive Angela Greatley said: "People with depression and anxiety have for too long been offered little more than medication. For a significant minority, this is not enough to help them to recover. As a result, many lose their jobs, drop out of education or see their relationships break down. Waiting times for psychological therapies are long, despite the mass of evidence about their benefits for many people. Today's announcement should be the beginning of a new approach that ensures timely access to effective treatment and practical support, with real choices and care close to home." 1. Improving access to talking therapies has the potential to save the economy millions of pounds by helping people with mild to moderate depression to get back into employment and off incapacity benefit. About one in three of the 1.3 million people claiming long-term incapacity benefit in the UK have a mental health problem, mostly mild to moderate depression. 2. The pilots will provide real evidence of the benefits that can be gained from increasing access to psychological therapies, both to the individual and to the local economy. They have been given £3.7 million funding over two years from the Department of Health. The two sites have been chosen because they serve very different demographics with different health needs, and they offer different treatment models such as community-based, voluntary sector-led, or employer-led. Local people will benefits from the pilots by having: - Access to coping strategies and support as an alternative to taking sick leave from work due to depression - Better support in the work place from Occupational Health - Retaining employment, even where the individual may suffer from stress, anxiety or depression - Enabling people on benefits to return to work more quickly - More choice over their care and treatment http://www.dh.gov.uk > http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=43363 > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > counselling and talking therapies under a major new programme announced > today by UK Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt. I am not anti-medication because I take psychiatric meds and have already determined I can't function without them; HOWEVER, I agree that people in the US should have better access to counseling. That they don't is the fault of both the insurance companies and the Federal government, which refuse to underwrite such treatment, claiming it is too expensive. It has been demonstrated that psychotherapy (more specifically, cognitive therapy) can be more cost-effective and at least as efficacious as medication for minor-to-moderate depression, and increases the efficacy of treatment when used in combination with medication for severe depression and other conditions. >> http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=43363 >> [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] >government, which refuse to underwrite such treatment, claiming it is >too expensive. It's not just the US. The situation is the same in Australia. One of the major problems is that there are no votes in mental health so the politicians talk and don't act, and lots of costs and visits so the insurance companies aren't interested. There is something wrong with a system which provides reimbursement of costs for such obvious quackery as Advanced Allergy Elimination but severely limits payments for visits to psychologists. >It has been demonstrated that psychotherapy (more specifically, >cognitive therapy) can be more cost-effective and at least as >efficacious as medication for minor-to-moderate depression, and >increases the efficacy of treatment when used in combination with >medication for severe depression and other conditions. The medications are necessary for initial control, but they do nothing about the possible causes for depression. In the absence of access to counselling and other "talk" therapies, however, they are better than nothing.  SignaturePeter Bowditch aa #2243 The Millenium Project http://www.ratbags.com/rsoles Australian Council Against Health Fraud http://www.acahf.org.au Australian Skeptics http://www.skeptics.com.au To email me use my first name only at ratbags.com > >> People suffering from depression will be able to have better access to > >> counselling and talking therapies under a major new programme announced [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > as Advanced Allergy Elimination but severely limits payments for > visits to psychologists. I agree. I think there is still a lot of stigmatization of mental illness and a lot of ignorance involved on the part of politicians and the general public. If the voting public were more aggressive about demanding better mental health care for people, politicians (facing reelection) might be more "concerned" about the issue. But so many people still believe mental illness involves character flaws and personal weakness, does not exist at all, or is something that only happens to "other people." > >It has been demonstrated that psychotherapy (more specifically, > >cognitive therapy) can be more cost-effective and at least as [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > counselling and other "talk" therapies, however, they are better than > nothing. They are better than nothing, but there has been some unexpected fallout from the prescription of medication without therapy, which is that the medication itself is now blamed for people committing suicide! It's been well documented that depressed people who are suicidal are most at risk when the medication begins to relieve some of the physical inertia before it relieves the emotional pain. This goes *way* back to at least the tricyclic era, some 20 years or more ago. Back then, people were more likely to receive talk therapy along with their medication, and were also more likely to be hospitalized until they were functional and no longer a risk to themselves. Funny how lack of funding for these services never gets blamed for increases in suicide rates. > >It has been demonstrated that psychotherapy (more specifically, > >cognitive therapy) can be more cost-effective and at least as > >efficacious as medication for minor-to-moderate depression, and > >increases the efficacy of treatment when used in combination with > >medication for severe depression and other conditions. > The medications are necessary for initial control, but they do nothing > about the possible causes for depression. In the absence of access to > counselling and other "talk" therapies, however, they are better than > nothing. <They are better than nothing, but there has been some unexpected <fallout from the prescription of medication without therapy, which is <that the medication itself is now blamed for people committing suicide! <It's been well documented that depressed people who are suicidal are <most at risk when the medication begins to relieve some of the physical <inertia before it relieves the emotional pain. <This goes *way* back to at least the tricyclic era, some 20 years or <more ago. Back then, people were more likely to receive talk therapy <along with their medication, and were also more likely to be <hospitalized until they were functional and no longer a risk to <themselves. Funny how lack of funding for these services never gets <blamed for increases in suicide rates. It's a double edge sword. There was a concerted effort to destigmatize mental illness by putting forth the "not your fault" neurotransmitter cause. People came forward and treated for their imbalance and thus a medical condition. If I have learned anything about posting here on these NG is that people do not believe they have a mental illness and absolutely refuse to seek pyschological counseling. They all insist it's strickly medical and are insulted when any suggestion is made. When it comes to suicide, people bury their head in the sand. The family wants to hear that they did nothing wrong and their was no hint that the person would kill themselves and the drugs are a good safe target. > If I have learned anything about posting here on these NG is that > people [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > was no hint that the person would kill themselves and the drugs > are a good safe target. Yes, and not only do people fail to recognize (or deny) their own mental illness, but they also use other people's admission of mental illness as weapon against them. My opinions have been discredited several times simply because people keep digging the old bipolar dx out of past threads. Destigmatization has not quite made it to the masses. I do think children and teens on psychiatric meds should be hospitalized until stable, if for no other reasons than that they're inherently impulsive, have no historical perspective on life from which to draw hope, and no responsibility for the welfare of others who might be impacted by their death. I think that could potentially put them at greater risk for acting on suicidal feelings. >> >> People suffering from depression will be able to have better access to >> >> counselling and talking therapies under a major new programme announced [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] >fallout from the prescription of medication without therapy, which is >that the medication itself is now blamed for people committing suicide! Only the ignorant anti-psychiatry loons blame the medication. >It's been well documented that depressed people who are suicidal are >most at risk when the medication begins to relieve some of the physical >inertia before it relieves the emotional pain. That's what we keep telling the anti-psychiatry loons, but they won't listen. The drugs increase motivation before relieving depression but that concept is too hard for people with an agenda, as is the concept that the sort of person given these drugs is more prone to suicide anyway. Still, if you can't get someone to see the faults in Scientology, how could you expect them not to agree with CCHR? >This goes *way* back to at least the tricyclic era, some 20 years or >more ago. Back then, people were more likely to receive talk therapy >along with their medication, and were also more likely to be >hospitalized until they were functional and no longer a risk to >themselves. Funny how lack of funding for these services never gets >blamed for increases in suicide rates. SignaturePeter Bowditch aa #2243 The Millenium Project http://www.ratbags.com/rsoles Australian Council Against Health Fraud http://www.acahf.org.au Australian Skeptics http://www.skeptics.com.au To email me use my first name only at ratbags.com >>> >> People suffering from depression will be able to have better access >>> >> to [quoted text clipped - 62 lines] >>themselves. Funny how lack of funding for these services never gets >>blamed for increases in suicide rates. FDA caught covering up the fact that the drug they had approved was CAUSING suicides among teenagers, while advertised to do the opposite. http://www.drugawareness.org/home.html ****Finally!****FDA Committee Says Risk of suicide with SSRIs Should be Communicated Immediately. 2/19/2004 Drug companies need to come clean on SSRIs; time for Health Canada to warn us 2/17/2004 Drug risks ***hidden from public**** ****Drug companies keep test failures quiet,**** medical journal says 2/15/2004 Suicide brings changes to Lilly drug trial. 2/15/2004 19 quit Lilly drug trial after a death 2/15/2004 Student's suicide cries out to FDA for drug warnings 2/13/2004 Woman testing depression drug kills herself 2/12/2004 Student, 19, in Trial of New Antidepressant Commits Suicide 2/12/2004 Rep. Tauzin to $2 million-a-year job to work for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America 2/9/2004 Prescription For Suicide? 2/9/2004 Woman participating in Lilly trial hangs self Coroner will examine whether experimental drug played possible part in 19-year-old's suicide. 2/5/2004 Medicating America's Kids NPR Program 2/4/2004 Lawmaker Seeks Data on Antidepressants for Kids 2/4/2004 Ottawa warns of suicide risk for teens on anti-depressants 4/2004 Ottawa warns of suicide risk for teens on anti-depressants By ANDRÉ PICARD PUBLIC HEALTH REPORTER Mounting concerns over the safety of prescribing a new generation of anti-depressants to children and teenagers has prompted Health Canada to issue a rare public warning to reconsider their use because the popular drugs may actually increase the risk of suicide. 2/3/2004 Antidepressant Strengthened Warnings About Pediatric Suicidality Risk Needed Immediately, Cmte. Says 2/3/2004 Pittman tragedy detailed in letter 2/3/2004 Antidepressant warning: Adult drugs may lead to increased risk of suicide in children /3/2004 FDA mulls antidepressant warning Panel cites risks to some children, notes benefits too 2/3/2004 FDA Links Antidepressants, Youth Suicide Risk 2/3/2004 Alert on antidepressants for kids Panel urges sterner FDA warnings on children's suicide risks 2/3/2004 Parents Blame Medicines for Suicides 2/3/2004 Company 'held back' data on drug for children Antidepressant had no effect, leak reveals 2/2/2004 Will British Ban Spur FDA to Act? 2/2/2004 Youth, meds and suicide 2/1/2004 Kids, Meds, and Suicide The dangerous side effects of some SSRIs are back in the headlines 2/1/2004 Drug report barred by FDA Scientist links antidepressants to suicide in kids 1/31/2004 Wyeth Among 3 Firms Subpoenaed by U.S. 1/30/2004 Deluge of drug ads has FDA struggling to stop the hype 1/30/2004 FDA to debate antidepressant risk to kids 1/29/2004 Antidepressant Makers Withhold Data on Children 1/26/2004 FDA Knew About the Dangers of Redux® but Approved it Anyway 1/26/2004 Special Report Antidepressant Drugs and Suicidal/Aggressive Behaviors 1/23/2004 Report casts doubt on drug, suicide link 1/21/2004 New Report Concludes SSRI Antidepressants Do Not Increase Suicidal Behavior in Youth with Depression ACNP Presents Findings As FDA Opens Hearings 1/20/2004 Drug Companies Get Too Close for Med School's Comfort 1/6/2004 Probe into antidepressant link to suicides 1/6/2004 New Hope for Battling Depression Study Illuminates Why Benefits of Therapy Are More Lasting Than Medication 1/4/2004 A Suicide Side Effect? What parents aren't being told about their kids' antidepressants 1/4/2004 New York Times Lives: A Doctor's Toxic Shock 1/4/2004 Drug commercials can make you a little bit dopey 12/10/2003 NIH to launch ethics review - Zerhouni promises comprehensive look at lucrative consulting payments to top officials http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/07/health/07DEPR.html?hp&pagewanteda... FDA COVER UP! Antidepressants:" FDA suppressed damaging data http://tinyurl.com/d3z6r http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8HIB6EO0.htm?campaign_i... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5989348/ http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=39016 >> http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=43363 ................ >It has been demonstrated that psychotherapy (more specifically, >cognitive therapy) can be more cost-effective and at least as >efficacious as medication for minor-to-moderate depression, and >increases the efficacy of treatment when used in combination with >medication for severe depression and other conditions. This depends on the person and circumstances. I am doing reasonably well with medication (I reacted badly to Prozac) and I was told long ago that in my case counseling would have little value. SignatureThis address is for information only. I do not claim that these views are those of the Statistics Department or of Purdue University. Herman Rubin, Department of Statistics, Purdue University hrubin@stat.purdue.edu Phone: (765)494-6054 FAX: (765)494-0558 |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2012 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.