More Americans are being treated with drugs for their mental-health problems and less with psychotherapy. Researchers from Columbia University in New York compared data from two government surveys carried out in 1998 and 2007. In both years 3% of the sample said that they had had at least one session of psychotherapy but among people receiving outpatient care for mental-health problems 57% were being treated with drugs alone in 2007, compared to 44% in 1998. Combined treatment with drugs and psychotherapy declined from 40% to 32% and the use of psychotherapy alone fell from 16% to 10%. While overall spending on mental health care remained fairly constant the amount spent on psychotherapy fell from $11bn in 1998 to $7bn in 2007.
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From what I can tell, most treatment is based around which cocktail of medication works best. And as lists in the UK for psychotherapies are so long, I'm trying to find other (healthy) ways of managing my mental illness. In the meantime I have ben exploring other methods of self-help using my blog (Free Your Mind).
Well yes, it's a lot easier, not to mention more profitable, for the drugs companies to pump everyone full of pills rather than getting to grips with the real nature and causes of people's problems. But as long as society is driven by the profit motive rather than humanity that will be the way things go. Best of luck with the self-management though - I will try and check out your blog when I get a chance,
All the Best,
John Gale,
Mental Health Update
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