Drugs: A strategic necessity

Abstract

Summaryo1.The President of the United States has proposed a bold new program of Community Mental Health Centers which “relies primarily upon the new knowledge and new drugs acquired and developed in recent years which make it possible for most of the mentally ill to be successfully and quickly treated in their own communities and returned to a useful place in society.”12.The 1600 mental hygiene clinies of this country (with few exceptions) are not presently fulfilling the President's requirements since verbal psychotherapy alone is the dominant method of treatment.3.The large number of personnel and the high cost completely rule out even the possibility of treating more than a fraction of those in need if we use only traditional methods.4.Drug treatment is an absolute and unqualified necessity for a community mental health center.5.Drugs possess the advantages that:oa.They are often the only effective treatment for psychoties.b.They are more economical in respect to both personnel and money than any alternate technique.c.The training of staff to effectively utilize drugs is infinitely shorter than that required to become a skilled psychotherapist.d.Treatment continues even though the therapist or patient miss sessions.e.If a new therapist must take over there is no necessity to “start at the beginning again.”f.Limited intelligence, language or cultural differences do not seriously impede drug action.6.The therapeutic action of drugs is a least as “basic” as any other known treatment method.7.Treatment programs should not disdain “rehabilitation.” In our present state of ignorance concerning the causes of mental illness, we are uncertain as to what really constitutes a remission or “cure” and hence the objection that drugs “only get rid of the symptoms” is meaningless.8.Drugs and psychotherapy may complement each other and the art is to select the appropriate treatment for the individual case. The President of the United States has proposed a bold new program of Community Mental Health Centers which “relies primarily upon the new knowledge and new drugs acquired and developed in recent years which make it possible for most of the mentally ill to be successfully and quickly treated in their own communities and returned to a useful place in society.”1 The 1600 mental hygiene clinies of this country (with few exceptions) are not presently fulfilling the President's requirements since verbal psychotherapy alone is the dominant method of treatment. The large number of personnel and the high cost completely rule out even the possibility of treating more than a fraction of those in need if we use only traditional methods. Drug treatment is an absolute and unqualified necessity for a community mental health center. Drugs possess the advantages that:oa.They are often the only effective treatment for psychoties.b.They are more economical in respect to both personnel and money than any alternate technique.c.The training of staff to effectively utilize drugs is infinitely shorter than that required to become a skilled psychotherapist.d.Treatment continues even though the therapist or patient miss sessions.e.If a new therapist must take over there is no necessity to “start at the beginning again.”f.Limited intelligence, language or cultural differences do not seriously impede drug action.6.The therapeutic action of drugs is a least as “basic” as any other known treatment method.7.Treatment programs should not disdain “rehabilitation.” In our present state of ignorance concerning the causes of mental illness, we are uncertain as to what really constitutes a remission or “cure” and hence the objection that drugs “only get rid of the symptoms” is meaningless.8.Drugs and psychotherapy may complement each other and the art is to select the appropriate treatment for the individual case. They are often the only effective treatment for psychoties. They are more economical in respect to both personnel and money than any alternate technique. The training of staff to effectively utilize drugs is infinitely shorter than that required to become a skilled psychotherapist. Treatment continues even though the therapist or patient miss sessions. If a new therapist must take over there is no necessity to “start at the beginning again.” Limited intelligence, language or cultural differences do not seriously impede drug action. The therapeutic action of drugs is a least as “basic” as any other known treatment method. Treatment programs should not disdain “rehabilitation.” In our present state of ignorance concerning the causes of mental illness, we are uncertain as to what really constitutes a remission or “cure” and hence the objection that drugs “only get rid of the symptoms” is meaningless. Drugs and psychotherapy may complement each other and the art is to select the appropriate treatment for the individual case.