Screening for Mental Illness: The Merger of Eugenics and the Drug Industry

2005 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vera Hassner Sharav
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Psychotropic Drugs ◽  
Treatment Plan ◽  
Medication Treatment ◽  
Faith Based ◽  
United States Population ◽  
Behavioral Abnormalities ◽  
Children First ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Impact

The implementation of a recommendation by the President’s New Freedom Commission (NFC) to screen the entire United States population—children first—for presumed, undetected, mental illness is an ill-conceived policy destined for disastrous consequences. The “pseudoscientific” methods used to screen for mental and behavioral abnormalities are a legacy from the discredited ideology of eugenics. Both eugenics and psychiatry suffer from a common philosophical fallacy that undermines the validity of their theories and prescriptions. Both are wed to a faith-based ideological assumption that mental and behavior manifestations are biologically determined, and are, therefore, ameliorated by biological interventions. NFC promoted the Texas Medication Algorithm Project (TMAP) as a “model” medication treatment plan. The impact of TMAP is evident in the skyrocketing increase in psychotropic drug prescriptions for children and adults, and in the disproportionate expenditure for psychotropic drugs. The New Freedom Commission’s screening for mental illness initiative is, therefore, but the first step toward prescribing drugs. The escalating expenditure for psychotropic drugs since TMAP leaves little doubt about who the beneficiaries of TMAP are. Screening for mental illness will increase their use.

scholarly journals Satellite Imaging of Global Urbanicity relates to Brain and Behavior in Young People

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunter Schumann ◽  
JIAYUAN XU ◽  
Xiaoxuan Liu ◽  
Alex Ing ◽  
QIAOJUN LI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Young People ◽  
Population Density ◽  
Urban Life ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
General Measure ◽  
Brain And Behavior ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Urbanicity is a growing environmental challenge for mental-health. While the impact of urban life on brain and behavior might be distinct in different sociocultural conditions and geographies, there might exist features shared between regions. To investigate correlations of urbanicity with brain structure and function, neuropsychology and mental illness symptoms in young people from China and Europe, we developed a remote-sensing satellite-measure termed ‘UrbanSat’ quantifying population-density, a general measure of urbanicity. UrbanSat is correlated with brain volume, surface area and brain-network-connectivity in the medial prefrontal cortex and cerebellum, which mediate its effect on perspective-taking and depression- symptoms. Susceptibility to high population-density is greatest during childhood for the cerebellum and from childhood to adolescence for the prefrontal cortex. As UrbanSat can be generalized to different geographies, it will enable assessing the impact of urbanicity on mental illness and resilience globally, especially in young people where prevention and early interventions are most effective.

Randomized trial protocol of bridge intervention for patients with serious mental illness and cancer.

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (34_suppl) ◽  
pp. 153-153
Author(s):  
Lauren Fields ◽  
Catherine A Callaway ◽  
Elyse R. Park ◽  
Andrew A Nierenberg ◽  
Joseph Greer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Serious Mental Illness ◽  
Cancer Care ◽  
Treatment Plan ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Case Manager ◽  
Premature Mortality ◽  
Integrated Treatment ◽  
Head Neck Cancer ◽  
The Impact

153 Background: Individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) diagnosed with cancer often have disruptions in treatment, leading to premature mortality compared to patients without SMI. To address such gaps in care, we developed and piloted a collaborative care intervention for patients with SMI and cancer (Bridge). We now propose a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to investigate the impact of the Bridge intervention on disruptions in cancer care for patients with SMI. Methods: We will conduct a two-arm RCT (n = 120) comparing Bridge to enhanced usual care (EUC) for patients with SMI (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder) and newly diagnosed breast, lung, gastrointestinal, or head/neck cancer. The 12-week Bridge intervention includes: 1) assessment by a psychiatrist with expertise in oncology at cancer diagnosis, 2) involvement of a case manager to promote self-management and care coordination, 3) collaboration between psychiatry and oncology (e.g., joint visits, developing an integrated treatment plan) to address barriers to care, and 4) availability of study clinicians via phone, text, or in-person for consultation and follow-up with patients, caregivers, and oncology and community mental health clinicians. In the EUC arm, study staff will inform the treating oncologist of the psychiatric diagnosis and notify the patient and oncologist of available psychosocial services at enrollment. Patients will be randomized 1:1 to Bridge or EUC, stratified by presence of a caregiver. Identified caregivers will be co-enrolled, and patients without a caregiver will be eligible. We will utilize verbal consent, link study visits to oncology appointments, and personalize frequency and location (e.g., community, clinic, hospital) of contact with patients and caregivers to decrease burden and promote engagement. The primary outcome is the proportion of patients with disruptions in cancer care within 6 months of enrollment, confirmed by oncologists blinded to study arm. Secondary outcomes include clinician assessment of psychiatric illness severity as well as patient and caregiver reported measures (e.g., depression, engagement in care, treatment satisfaction). Results: N/A. Conclusions: N/A. Clinical trial information: NCT03360695.

scholarly journals Prescribing in pregnancy

2008 ◽  
Vol 192 (5) ◽  
pp. 321-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol Paton
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Pregnant Woman ◽  
Psychotropic Drugs ◽  
Treatment Plan ◽  
Morbidity And Mortality ◽  
Maternal Mental Illness ◽  
In Pregnancy

SummaryPsychotropic drugs reduce morbidity and mortality related to maternal mental illness but may also cause harm to the foetus, the nature and magnitude of which is not completely understood. Up-to-date information should be shared as fully as possible with the pregnant woman and a treatment plan agreed jointly.

The impact of shame and cultural beliefs on mental illness and treatment adherence: A case report

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S511-S511 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Albassam ◽  
A. Ameen ◽  
V. Chiappetta ◽  
A. Hanif ◽  
L. Gonzalez
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Case Report ◽  
Psychiatric Treatment ◽  
Treatment Plan ◽  
Paranoid Schizophrenia ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
Presenting Symptoms ◽  
Adherence To Medication ◽  
The Impact

IntroductionShame, especially when enmeshed in cultural beliefs about mental illness and cultural roles, could be a detrimental factor in psychiatric illness in context of adherence to treatment and continuation of care. Shame is defined as a painful experience which embodies multiple components including: collapse of self esteem, feeling of humiliation, rupture of self continuity, sense of isolation, and feeling of being watched by critical others.ObjectiveUnderstanding the psychodynamics of shame, in a particular cultural milieu and its components which could impact psychiatric treatment and care.MethodHere we present a case report of a 41-years-old Arab male patient from Yemen, with a history of paranoid schizophrenia who was admitted to inpatient psychiatric service for bizarre and aggressive behavior.ResultsInitially the depth of patient's delusions and psychotic symptoms were not fully appreciated due to the cultural gap between the patient and the treatment team. He was then re-valuated through the implementation of the cultural formulation interview (CFI) by clinicians from same cultural background. This team was able to elucidate the deep feelings of shame and inadequacy in patient's presentation and provide a culturally tailored treatment plan.ConclusionsEvaluation of psychiatric patients in a different cultural setting where western values do not apply might not be sufficient to assess the breadth of psychotic symptoms especially when an underlying feeling of shame contribute to presenting symptoms. Treatment of those patients with neuroleptics without assessing the cultural dynamics might result in poor adherence to medication and follow up.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The Impact of COVID-19 Quarantine on Children‘s Behaviors and Language

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 796-806
Author(s):  
Sana M Kamal ◽  
Ali Al-Samydai ◽  
Rudaina Othman Yousif ◽  
Talal Aburjai
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Child Psychology ◽  
Simple Random Sample ◽  
Community Pharmacies ◽  
The World ◽  
Female Children ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Pharmaceutical Interventions

COVID-19 pandemic has spread across the world, which considered a relative of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), with possibility of transmission from animals to human and effect each of health and economic. Several preventative strategies and non-pharmaceutical interventions have been used to slow down the spread of COVID-19. The questionnaire contained 36 questions regarding the impact of COVID-19 quarantine on children`s behaviors and language have been distributed online (Google form). Data collected after asking parents about their children behavior during quarantine, among the survey completers (n=469), 42.3% were female children, and 57.7 were male children. Results showed that quarantine has an impact on children`s behaviors and language, where stress and isolationism has a higher effect, while social relations had no impact. The majority of the respondents (75.0%) had confidence that community pharmacies can play an important role in helping families in protection their children`s behaviors and language as they made the highest contact with pharmacists during quarantine. One of the main recommendations that could be applied to help parents protection and improvement their children`s behaviors and language in quarantine condition base on simple random sample opinion is increasing the role of community pharmacies inpatient counseling and especially towards children after giving courses to pharmacists in child psychology and behavior. This could be helpful to family to protect their children, from any changing in them behaviors and language in such conditions in the future if the world reface such the same problem.

THE IMPACT OF "PUBLIC CULTURE" ON YOUTH SPIRITUALITY

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 130-135
Author(s):  
Mukhiddin Tursunmuratov ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Popular Culture ◽  
Young People ◽  
Public Culture ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Impact

This article provides a detailed description and explanation of the term "popular culture". It also analyzes a number of aspects of "popular culture" that are becoming more widespread today, their role and influence in the formation of the minds and behavior of young people, and draws the necessary conclusions. Most importantly, it also describes ways to protect young people from threats in the form of "popular culture" that negatively affect their morale.

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