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“By DSM criteria, epidemiologists have noted, a staggering 30 percent of Americans are mentally ill in any given year.”

And as we approach a new year, University Diaries will continue to pursue the links between corporate-sponsored psychiatry research at some of America’s most high-profile universities, and the destructive, expensive pathologizing of the American public. ““[T]he increase in diagnoses [of mental illness in America] is a boon to pharmaceutical manufacturers,” notes a Forbes writer. “The new generation of psychoactives has displaced cholesterol-reducing medications as the biggest-selling class of drugs in the U.S.” It wouldn’t be happening without Harvard’s Joseph Biederman and the rest of the COI university crew.

There’s hope. But only a little bit of hope. The battle has to be fought hard, and we’ll probably lose.

But anger over the money culture behind pharma investment, and at the damage being done to our children by anti-psychotics, will no doubt find greater focus and expression this coming year. UD will of course follow the story.

Margaret Soltan, December 30, 2011 11:59AM
Posted in: the university

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6 Responses to ““By DSM criteria, epidemiologists have noted, a staggering 30 percent of Americans are mentally ill in any given year.””

  1. dmf Says:
    December 30th, 2011 at 12:36PM

    as someone losing this fight on the front-lines I much appreciate your efforts, passion, and support, makes things seem a little less desperate.

  2. Clarissa Says:
    December 30th, 2011 at 3:16PM

    I agree with dmf. The work you are doing is very important. It is heartening to see that there are still people who oppose the campaign to medicate us all into oblivion.

  3. francofou Says:
    December 30th, 2011 at 7:10PM

    And the other 70% are making money from it.

  4. aek Says:
    December 30th, 2011 at 8:06PM

    One more place to shine your light: Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School’s Academy. http://mghacademy.org/

    Look what the KOLs are doing in March: http://mghacademy.org/courses/course-detail/child_adolescent_psychopharmacology_2012

    Oh, and they have integrity because they say they do. http://mghacademy.org/index.php/about/program_integrity_safeguards

    Thank you so very much for all you do.

  5. Margaret Soltan Says:
    December 30th, 2011 at 8:24PM

    Thank all of you for your kind words. And aek: Also for the links.

    UD

  6. The Last Link Encyclopedia and Self-Promotion of 2011! « Clarissa's Blog Says:
    December 31st, 2011 at 7:13PM

    […] “““[T]he increase in diagnoses [of mental illness in America] is a boon to pharmaceutical manufac…” Please remember this every time you feel tempted to utter something like, “Depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain” or “Mental illness is serious!” Yes, it’s serious. It is also seriously profitable to convince us all we need a few prescriptions on a daily basis. […]

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UD REVIEWED

Dr. Bernard Carroll, known as the "conscience of psychiatry," contributed to various blogs, including Margaret Soltan's University Diaries, for which he sometimes wrote limericks under the name Adam.
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