Witness the collapse of the biological model of psychiatry

[cinephile]

I just found this astonishing post on 1boringoldman. It's an overview of the abysmal mental health situation in Australia, which is perhaps going to get a lot worse if prominent nutbar psychiatrist Patrick McGorry has his way. Basically McGorry is one of those "antipsychotic risk syndrome" guys who wants everyone to believe that psychiatry can prophylactically medicate psychosis with antipsychotics before a full-blown psychotic break occurs. Of course his research isn't exactly ready for prime-time, but that's not stopping him (has it ever stopped psychiatry before?).

 

The post is most astonishing because as Mickey (the boring old man himself) says, the debate it has sparked in Australia is a perfect microcosmic example of what's happening in psychiatry in the US. That is, the slowly but surely growing public awareness that psychiatry is largely a sham, built up with equal parts wishful thinking and corruption, and now supported by the tortured logic of long-time psychiatrists who are grabbing at straws. We all know the boat's going down, and it's amazing to see it playing out with such clarity in Australia.

 

And make sure you read the whole post, as Mickey's final paragraph wrap-up is a show-stopper.

 

PS: Is it just me, or do b*tch-ass psychiatrists like McGorry throw temper tantrums like a little kid when they don't get their pet projects approved? McGorry reminds me of this kid:

 

 

LINK: http://1boringoldman.com/index.php/2011/09/25/hubris-5/

[Altostrata]

So glad Dr. Mickey is still publishing.

 

His observation at the end of this brilliant article:

 

As for the Australian controversy as a microcosm or paradigm for us all, it has all the right elements. It was initiated by a public health argument reminiscent of many we’ve heard before using statistics that are hyped beyond credibility – increasing incidence requiring urgent attention. They propose massive extension of a small, questionable trial instead of further investigation. They attack and demean their critics instead of responding to [or listening to] the criticisms. The decisions that matter come from the halls of power rather than from measured scientific discourse and are uninformed by abysmal track record of massive public mental health initiatives. They’ve failed to notice that expert opinion no longer carries the weight it once did [for good reason]. The rallying cry of evidence-based medicine has caught up with them because their evidence is weak. And a lot of the support they perceive is, in fact, the desperate cry from like-minded colleagues looking for something to keep a waning dream alive. This is not the time to be rolling out something new in psychiatry aiming at a brave new but indeterminate future. It’s a time to hold on to what you’ve got – a time for reflecting on lessons learned.

Folks, we truly are at a crossroads. More and more commentators are casting doubt on pharmapsychiatry. The turn is happening.

[cinephile]

Another gem from Mickey. This guy really has a knack for tying it all together! Unfortunately, his prophecy is pretty grim. It begs the question if psychiatry will ever truly be reformed. SIGH.

 

The trinity of evidence-based medicine, translational medicine, and personalized medicine are coming together just in time to meet the challenges of the patent expirations over the next few years. With an empty pharmaceutical pipeline, and the age of SSRIs and Atypical Antipsychotics coming to a close, a generation of neurobiologists is aiming to consummate the marriage of academic psychiatry to the pharmaceutical industry, and continue their lucrative march into a brave new world.

[cinephile]

I actually just wrote a quick comment about Mickey's "trinity" statement:

 

 

MIckey -- I'm reminded, of all things, of the Solyndra debacle whenever you speak of psychiatric "science" that isn't ready for prime time (personalized medicine, biomarkers, translational science, etc). Solyndra proved once and for all that you can't just build a facility and wait for the Brinks trucks to pull up. The technology (here, solar power) has to be tested in the market first and be proven as financially viable/profitable before the government should lend one dime to it (if any money. I honestly don't think the govt should subsidize any business costs).

 

But of course the White House didn't do any of that and Solyndra went belly up.

 

Such is the case with Insel's grand plan for what psychiatry will look like. It's so obvious what psychiatry is doing: it's scrambling for the next big thing to fill the vacuum formed from pharmaceutical companies' growing absence. Are these "big things" thoroughly tested with real science and research? Of course not, as you have amply proved. But just like with Solyndra, appearance is reality, and as long as psychiatry appears that it's moving forward, that's all that matters (just as Obama made the appearance he was investing in the economy and creating jobs). And I'll bet money that patients invested in the future of psychiatry will suffer more than layoffs like those in Solyndra for the folly.

 

Detestable.