Posted on 06/21/2004 10:19:15 PM PDT by JohnHuang2
President Bush plans to unveil next month a sweeping mental health initiative that recommends screening for every citizen and promotes the use of expensive antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs favored by supporters of the administration.
The New Freedom Initiative, according to a progress report, seeks to integrate mentally ill patients fully into the community by providing "services in the community, rather than institutions," the British Medical Journal reported.
Critics say the plan protects the profits of drug companies at the expense of the public.
The initiative began with Bush's launch in April 2002 of the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, which conducted a "comprehensive study of the United States mental health service delivery system."
The panel found that "despite their prevalence, mental disorders often go undiagnosed" and recommended comprehensive mental health screening for "consumers of all ages," including preschool children.
The commission said, "Each year, young children are expelled from preschools and childcare facilities for severely disruptive behaviors and emotional disorders."
Schools, the panel concluded, are in a "key position" to screen the 52 million students and 6 million adults who work at the schools.
The commission recommended that the screening be linked with "treatment and supports," including "state-of-the-art treatments" using "specific medications for specific conditions."
The Texas Medication Algorithm Project, or TMAP, was held up by the panel as a "model" medication treatment plan that "illustrates an evidence-based practice that results in better consumer outcomes."
The TMAP -- started in 1995 as an alliance of individuals from the pharmaceutical industry, the University of Texas and the mental health and corrections systems of Texas -- also was praised by the American Psychiatric Association, which called for increased funding to implement the overall plan.
But the Texas project sparked controversy when a Pennsylvania government employee revealed state officials with influence over the plan had received money and perks from drug companies who stand to gain from it.
Allen Jones, an employee of the Pennsylvania Office of the Inspector General says in his whistleblower report the "political/pharmaceutical alliance" that developed the Texas project, which promotes the use of newer, more expensive antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs, was behind the recommendations of the New Freedom Commission, which were "poised to consolidate the TMAP effort into a comprehensive national policy to treat mental illness with expensive, patented medications of questionable benefit and deadly side effects, and to force private insurers to pick up more of the tab."
Jones points out, according to the British Medical Journal, companies that helped start the Texas project are major contributors to Bush's election funds. Also, some members of the New Freedom Commission have served on advisory boards for these same companies, while others have direct ties to TMAP.
Eli Lilly, manufacturer of olanzapine, one of the drugs recommended in the plan, has multiple ties to the Bush administration, BMJ says. The elder President Bush was a member of Lilly's board of directors and President Bush appointed Lilly's chief executive officer, Sidney Taurel, to the Homeland Security Council.
Of Lilly's $1.6 million in political contributions in 2000, 82 percent went to Bush and the Republican Party.
Another critic, Robert Whitaker, journalist and author of "Mad in America," told the British Medical Journal that while increased screening "may seem defensible," it could also be seen as "fishing for customers."
Exorbitant spending on new drugs "robs from other forms of care such as job training and shelter program," he said.
However, a developer of the Texas project, Dr. Graham Emslie, defends screening.
"There are good data showing that if you identify kids at an earlier age who are aggressive, you can intervene ... and change their trajectory."
Well of course you are speechless. Especially since we KNOW this is true and is represented correctly.
After all, we read it in an ARTICLE.
Read the initiative. Where does it say the public is going to be screened and drugged?
I can't believe so many intelligent people are reading this article and instantly believing it.
Read the initiative and not just the damn article and just calm down.
The initiative does NOT say what the writer says it does.
Please, think for yourself.
Thank you for posting that. I wish people would slow down and read what you posted and not pay attention to the fantasy of the writer of this article.
I am stunned to see so many people convinced that we are going to be led into dark rooms and put on drugs, just because this one guy says so.
Of course, they will.
The point is that the President's people ought to get on top of this and ditch the idea of mass screenings loud and clear.
It seems to have been their idea, to some extent. Hope they ditch it, and fast.
A psych patient that is well treated and medically supported will cost the taxpayers much less money.
The unnecessary ER visits and inpatient hospitalizations that those patients who are not well managed need would be dramatically cut down.
I would much rather pay a couple hundred dollars a month for medicine and another hundred for a doctor visit than to pay the several thousand dollars a month some of these patients cost in "emergency care" that will not help.
In my career, I was constantly having to take the same patients in to the ER over and over and over again.
Who pays? Medicaid. (taxpayers)
Give me the two hundred dollar a month bill any day over the alternative.
Excellent points.
Read the initiative please. Not the article.
It does NOT say anything at all about screening the population and putting everyone on drugs.
www.mentalhealthcommission.gov/reports/reports.htm
This report is from July 2003. The BMJ article is from June 19, 2004.
Was this report just made available to the public?
This had better be satire, until Bush is thinking he would like to see the radical, malignant, narcissistic leftists medication. Then I support this.
Howlin...Things like this make me NUTS! I may need his mental health initiative or take up drinking! I think he should just chill out or send Rove on an overdue vacation. I'm hoping it's NOT TRUE!!!!!
Do you want to oppose it, period, and mark yourself as someone worth observation?
You have something to hide tovarish?
Welcome to the USSA.
And yes, I will be casting a protest vote this November, come to think of it.
Now now, thoughts like that are not... productive.
Please step to the front of the line. The doctor will see you now, citizen.
Only a lunatic would work for his reelection if this is true.
The good news is that it would save the taxpayers the cost of the examination.
Modern Orwellism at werk. Here in the PRoMichigan, they renamed the DSS -- that's the agency that breaks up families and places people into longterm dependency on the state. The new name? Why, they named it, "The Family Independence Agency", of course.
No, just his job. (A natural consequence of losing his constituency.)
Someone must have told him that the Mexican Amnesty didn't do the trick. This ought to do the job, though. I sure hope so. I'd hate to think of what they'd have to come up with if it doesn't.
We could just dispense free coupons for mental health services when you check 'Rat on any of the questions.
Of course. What better way to find out who the "real" nutcases are? (in the "sovietest" of meanings).
Trick 'em. :) Go vote. I know I sure will. Not "R", and not "D", that's for sure. But, I'll vote.
I knew this country was headed down the crapper, but I didn't expect to see Our Glorious Leaders jackhammering the plunger on it. Ya learn something every day, I guess.
I'm glad you didn't say conservative administration.
This necessary measure is long overdue - judging from the recent polls nearly half of the country is losing it!
heh -- well said.
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