Schizophrenia Findings Disputed

(January 2, 2007) -- The message from the movie "A Beautiful Mind" was simple: When it comes to treating schizophrenia, one size doesn't fit all.

The movie focused on John Nash, the Nobel Prize-winning mathematician, and how he managed his schizophrenia largely without medication or other forms of therapy.

But for many others who suffer this illness, medication and therapy are musts.

Schizophrenia remains an illness whose causes and treatments demand additional research, mental health advocates and professionals say.

That's why they are taking issue with a recently published, controversial British study that suggests patients with schizophrenia do just as well on older drugs compared with costlier, newer medications.

The study, funded by the British government and published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, was intended to determine whether newer drugs that can cost 10 times as much as older ones are worth the difference in price, according to schizophrenia.com.

Opponents of the research say clinicians need to have options that suit their diverse array of patients. Each person's body chemistry responds very differently, and while some may respond well to older medications, others may not.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness also points out that the study's comparisons are limited to classes of drugs, rather than specific medications. The use of psychiatric medicine -- similar to pain and anti-inflammatory medications -- needs to be balanced, said Debra Wentz, who heads the New Jersey Association of Mental Health Agencies.

"I have a senior citizen mother who suffers cardiovascular disease," she said. "She has a bleeding problem, so they balance the medication. Sometimes they have to clot the blood. Other times, they have to thin it."

How people react to medications also depends on environmental factors, said Wentz. Diet and exercise can play a role. Either way, more research is needed to determine what's best for each person, said Oscar Morgan of the National Mental Health Association.

"The decision should not be based solely on cost," he said. "When you buy a car, there are cars that are expensive, and there are cars that are not expensive. You have to pick what's best for you."

Ken Duckworth, medical director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, agreed, saying it would be a grave mistake to use the study to restrict access to newer medications.

"There is a need for a more effective, third generation of medications that can ultimately lead to a cure for schizophrenia, one of the most severe mental illnesses," he said.

advertisement

Duckworth, moreover, warned that "general findings" from a study should not outweigh the specific choices mental health professionals make in treating individuals with schizophrenia.

"Finding the right medication may be the cornerstone in building the right foundation for recovery for an individual," he said.

By Tom Davis
Source: NorthJersey.com

Last updated: 01/07

top ~ next ~ news table of contents ~ send page to a friend

We subscribe to the HONcode principles. Verify here.