August 1, 2010

Failure to Serve: A White Paper on the Use of Medications as a First Line Treatment and Misuse in Behavioral Health

Behavioral healthcare in America has largely been reassigned to primary care physicians as a result of the overall penetration in healthcare of for-profit managed care companies and insurers; the long-term campaign by drug manufacturers to replace effective behavioral interventions with medications; and a two-decades long shortage of psychiatrists. All of these factors have contributed to patients being denied effective treatments as the profits of these companies continue to increase. This report, prepared by the National Alliance of Professional Psychology Providers, discusses the problems and solutions associated with medications when used as a first-line treatment for behavioral disorders.