Media Discrimates Against Mentally Ill More Than Blacks

The prime time media uses negative stereotypes to depict mental illness almost 4 times more than it does blacks.

The numbers are from a study, Liz Sayce cites in her book From Psychiatric Patient to Citizen: Overcoming Discrimination and Social Exclusion

The research found that films and tv shows run during prime time depicted the mentally ill characters as villians 73% of the time, blacks 20% of the time and the disabled 12% of the time.

This means the media discriminates against the mentally ill almost 4 times more than blacks and 6 times more than the disabled.

The book also noted a second study published in the The British Journal of Psychiatry found programming for children under 10, showed the mentally ill as “crazy” , out of control and without positive qualities.

No one is suggesting that changes in content be imposed on the media however the studies show that the popular media exploits and perpetuates the stigma of the mental ill.

Bristol Myers Squib Gets 5YR Probation For Illegal Drug Sales

Bristol Myers Squib Chairman & CEO James M. Cornelius

His company (BMS) just paid out one of the biggest settlements ever for drug dealing. It sold the antipsychotic drug Abilify without FDA approval to children and the elderly. There were the usual consulting fees and luxury resort trips paid to doctors and health care providers to grease the skids.

In order to push product to little ones, BMS had a sales force visit “child psychiatrists and pediatric specialists”. For the elderly who had dementia, this pharmaceutical multinational created a “special long-term care sales force”

The icing on the cake was when the company tried to spin the fact they got 5 years probation with Inspector General’s Office by calling it a “corporate integrity agreement.” Where are mandatory jail sentences when you really need them.

Street dealers are more authentic than these guys.

Facts Courtesy of the Boston Globe

See also Harvard Psychiatrists Flunk Appearance of Propriety about peddling antidepressants to children.

Credible Edibles Help Prevent Depression

At last some credible information about food and depression appears in The Economist’s article Cognition Nutrition: Food for Thought . I have been quite skeptical about some nutritional and alternative claims made on the internet; however the Economist is a trusted source. Instead of interviewing some one who survives on nuts and berries in the forest, the article discusses the work of a respected neuroscientist and other professionals.

Depression prophylactics include spinach and fish.

• “…evidence that folate deficiency is associated with clinical depression, suggests eating spinach, orange juice and Marmite, which are all rich in folic acid.”
• “the benefits of omega-3 [oil] include resistance to depression.”
• “there is a strong negative correlation between the extent to which a country consumes fish and its levels of clinical depression.”

The piece mentions other foods which can protect the brain from damage and delay the effects of age. Some edibles, including foliates and omega-3, enhance cognitive abilities.

In no way should any food be thought of as treatment for depression. I’ve tried it more than once which happens to be the definition of insanity. If you are depressed get medical treatment.