Thursday, December 27, 2012

The Worst Book in the World

Antidepressants to treat grief? Psychiatry panelists with ties to drug industry say yes
In what some prominent critics have called a bonanza for the drug companies, the American Psychiatric Association this month voted to drop the old warning against diagnosing depression in the bereaved, opening the way for more of them to be diagnosed with major depression — and thus, treated with antidepressants.
The change in the handbook, which could have significant financial implications for the $10 billion U.S. antidepressant market, was developed in large part by people affiliated with the pharmaceutical industry, an examination of financial disclosures shows.
...
Each work group member was allowed to receive as much as $10,000 a year in income from pharmaceutical companies and hold as much as $50,000 in stock. Members could also receive unlimited amounts of money from pharmaceutical companies to conduct research.
Seriously.  All they got is antidepressants.
So they want to sell them to everyone.

It's a long article.  But it's very good.  You should read it.