Researchers find drug-based mental health system is a barrier to recovery
Published on 20 August, 2008
A study of successfully-recovered mental health consumers conducted by the International Program of Psycho-Social Health Research (IPP-SHR) at CQUniversity has found that although psychiatric medication is important for managing acute and psychotic episodes, it is often prescribed without counselling, and drug side effects can prevent patients being able to deal with the trauma underlying their condition.
"The current system pushes people to embrace a drug-based response to their illness, but there are many significant factors other than drugs that contribute to the recovery process," said NHMRC Senior Research Fellow and IPP-SHR Director, Dr Pam McGrath.
Dr Pam McGrath "Many of the participants in our study reported that drug side effects prevented them from being able to confront and deal with difficult emotions from past experiences, a process they described as necessary for rebuilding a sense of self.
"It was important for them to find a sympathetic psychiatrist who would support them to experiment and discover which drugs were most effective and what role drugs would play in the recovery process.
"For some mental health consumers it was important to find a psychiatrist who would help them move towards a non-drug based recovery," Dr McGrath said.
Participants described their anger at being over-sedated and said there was little information or support available for dealing with the distressing side effects of psychiatric medications.
Drug side effects described by study participants included emotional numbness, a sense of disassociation, agitation and restlessness, desire for social withdrawal, lack of motivation, loss of sense of humour and addiction.
Further information on this and other IPP-SHR studies are included in the latest issue of IPP-SHR's quarterly newsletter, ‘Psych-Social Update' Volume 3 Issue 2.
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IPP-SHR is a collaborative initiative jointly funded by CQUniversity Australia and the National Health & Medical Research Council. It aims to document and examine the human experience of serious illness and ‘make a difference' to those at the coalface of healthcare.
Suggested Links:
- Psycho-Social update Volume 3 Issue 2
- Link to request full published article
- Link to Project Page