Medication and Psychotherapy: A Good Mix
A recent article indicates that more people in the US are seeking pharmacological treatment alone rather than psychotherapy or pharmacological treatment in conjunction with psychotherapy.
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The statistics
The statistics show that of the total number of people seeking mental health treatment in 1998, almost 16 percent sought treatment through psychotherapy alone, whereas the number seeking treatment with psychopharmacology alone or in conjunction with psychotherapy were about about 40% and about 44% (the article mistakenly says 41%) respectively. All in all, psychotherapy is part of the treatment for about 56% of people.
On their own, these statistics are concerning enough. Whilst the use of medications is certainly called for the treatment of some people and can be an aid in the treatment of many more, psychotherapy has a good history of dealing with a wide range of issues. This study indicates that in 1998 about 44% were not getting any psychotherapy at all.
Therapy alone
However, it only gets worse – nine years later the number of people in pschotherapy alone is 10.5%, (an astonishing 52% drop), the number using psychotherapy in conjunction with medications dropped to 32% and 57% were not receiving any sort of psychotherapy at all, or a drop of about 30%).
The author then goes on to make good points about the proven effectiveness of psychotherapy and how psychotherapist might counter this trend. I have written about this previously at in an article ‘When Antidepressants are Not Enough'.
The article appears in Australian Popular Science “Three Ways to Save Psychotherapy” (Shaunacy Ferro, Published: 22 August 2013). I would be interested to know what you think about the quote (and indeed the whole article).
– Tim Hill
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