What They Don't Publish

Many advocates for psychopharmocological solutions to mental health problems point to numerous studies that purport the safety of the drugs. It is true that many studies exist that claim that main psychopharmaceutical drugs used today are safe. But there are three glaring problems with accepting the outcome of these studies as fact. The first, is that most of these studies are paid for by the manufacturers of the drugs, one way or another. Most publicly available studies are done either by the manufacturer's staff scientists, by scientists at academic institutions that receive financial support from pharmaceutical industry, or by the National Institute for Mental Health, which is heavily influenced by the pharmaceutical industry. This situation is obviously a conflict of interest. The second problem with accepting these studies is the fact that not all of the studies done by the manufacturer are released to the public. Only the clinical trials that show positive results are published, while those that show negative results are kept hidden in the drug companies' files. The third is the very nature of science. What has been "proven" today, may be disproven tomorrow. Remember the 1950's? LSD was proven to be safe and therapeutic. Amphetamines (speed) were proven safe and effective in controlling one's weight, and lifting mood. The early tranquilizer were proven to be non-addictive and useful for anxiety, depression and sleeplessness. All of these "proven" facts were overturned by later science, and the same thing may happen for the popular drugs of today. Science is a tool only as good as those who wield it, and no matter who wields it, science is not infallible.