Mind Wonk

Are We Giving Our Soldiers Drugs That May Make Them Kill Themselves? | | AlterNet

The unprecedented suicide rates are accompanied by an unprecedented rise in psychoactive drug rate among active duty-aged troops, 18 to 34, which is up 85 percent since 2003, according to the military health plan Tricare. Since 2001, 73,103 prescriptions for Zoloft have been dispensed, 38,199 for Prozac, 17,830 for Paxil and 12,047 for Cymbalta says Tricare 2009 data, which includes family prescriptions. All of the drugs carry a suicide warning label.

via www.alternet.org

In Some States, Incarcerated Kids Get Drugged to Alter Behavior, Despite Risks - ProPublica

This article from Marian Wang at ProPublica is a must read. I have to say, though, I think this doesn't happen only in the juvenile justice system, and very often (wherever it happens) children of color are over-represented.

Though the use of antipsychotic drugs on children is believed to carry significant risks [1] even when used properly to treat bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, it’s not uncommon in some states [2] for juveniles in detention to be prescribed antipsychotics simply to counter mood disorders or aggressive behavior, according to an investigation by Youth Today, which covers the juvenile justice system and youth services.

via www.propublica.org

See an article at Youth Today here. Also see my last post for the link to the New York Times article referenced by Wang.

Antipsychotic Drugs - Side Effects May Include Lawsuits - NYTimes.com

While the effectiveness of antipsychotic drugs in some patients remains a matter of great debate, how these drugs became so ubiquitous and profitable is not. Big Pharma got behind them in the 1990s, when they were still seen as treatments for the most serious mental illnesses, like hallucinatory schizophrenia, and recast them for much broader uses, according to previously confidential industry documents that have been produced in a variety of court cases.

via www.nytimes.com