Fortunately in the current issue of our Compass mag we reported on the Scandal of the Star*D study, conducted by none other than the NIMH, concerning the efficacy of antidepressants. Over 4,000 volunteers were used, a goodly number, but less than 100 actually finished up the study.
The NIMH, which utilizes tax-payer money, had a sterling reputation. Now, unfortunately, they would cross swords with the drug industry, who holds NIMH in their thrall, so at all costs the folks at NIMH must protect that industry and lie or distort the truth on Pharma's behalf.
Not to worry. The American public would not hear a word of it. And so-called unbiased scientific American journals would not publish a word of NIMH's misdeeds.
I learned all this a couple minutes ago while listening to maverick psychiatrist Peter Breggin's radio show of Nov. 8. His guest, a clinical psychologist named Pigott (PIE-gott) analyzed the results of the study and published it here in this German journal.
Ed Pigott, who's interested in helping patients deal with their problems, set up a model treatment plan for patients in crisis - whether psychotic or depressed or in the throes of panic disorder.
Within an hour of hearing about a patient's distress, a team from Pigott's center would arrive at the home of the patient where the whole family plus patient would receive on-the-spot counseling. The team, perhaps two social workers or whomever, would speak empathically with family and assure them that that 'this too shall pass,' that the crisis would run its course and then all would be fine.
This is an alternate model to hospitalization which Pigott found was a revolving door. Once hospitalized, your chances were overwhelming that you would return in short order. Don't we know that from our group members.
In fact, a year after intervention from Pigott et al, just about all of the former patients in crisis were doing just fine!
Sadly, tho, managed care stepped in to deny Piggott's team insurance coverage.
Peter Breggin's informative0 website can be found here. I just signed up for his newsletter and his wife Ginger Breggin welcomed me.
What can I say? This is all appalling how, in the interests of profit, people are denied help or often steered down a more destructive path. I did hear an interview with Pigott on NPR (I think) a while back. I wonder if this was same show. Glad you wrote about it and am interested in Peter Breggin's website. Thank you!
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