President Trump has created a "Make America Healthy Again Commission" headed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The commission's goal is to investigate the effects and risks associated with various psychiatric drugs given to children, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers.
1. Kennedy's Advocacy Against SSRIs: Kennedy has publicly criticized SSRIs, linking them to severe consequences, including school shootings, and shared that his family found it more challenging to stop using SSRIs than to quit heroin.
2. Media Response: The Washington Post has argued that Kennedy's commission is more threatening than the drugs it seeks to evaluate, citing the American Psychiatric Association (APA) CEO's reassurance that psychiatric medications are effective and responsibly prescribed after other methods, like talk therapy, are tried.
3. Rise in Prescription Rates: There has been a 66% increase in antidepressant prescriptions for young Americans ages 12 to 25 between 2016 and 2022, leading to concerns over "mental health interventions," which may not always help and can sometimes worsen individual distress.
4. Inflation of Psychiatric Diagnoses: The concept of "psychiatric prevalence inflation" suggests that normal emotional struggles are increasingly categorized as mental health issues due to school programs promoting the idea of vulnerability and the need for professional help.
5. Stigmas of Mental Illness: Many young people now see psychiatric labels as part of their identities, which could create fixed mindsets and lead to over-diagnosis and dependency on medication.
6. Concerns About DSM Changes: The DSM, used for diagnosing mental illnesses, has expanded significantly, potentially contributing to over-diagnosis. Critiques highlight that vague definitions can ensnare more individuals into various mental illness categories.
7. Impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): The rise in mental health diagnoses has led many students to claim disabilities, which allows them to receive additional accommodations at academic institutions.
8. Kennedy's Commission Output: The commission is expected to analyze the implications of over-medication in America and highlight how psychiatric labels can leave individuals vulnerable and unprotected.
Kennedy's commission aims to challenge the current trends in psychiatric treatment and medication use, potentially revealing the consequences of labeling and the pharmaceutical industry's influence on mental health care. The impact of these decisions could reshape perceptions of mental health among young people.
https://brownstone.org/articles/can-kennedy-save-kids-from-psychiatric-ravage/
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