Media coverage generated by PsychWatch Australia Blogs

(All links were current at time of uploading, many are temporary and may not be accessible later.)

Blog on 24 April 2019 - 1 in 8 (over 3 million) Australians are on antidepressants - Why is the Lucky Country so miserable?

Radio

Radio 2GB Sydney, George and Paul Podcast, Interview with Prof Jon Jureidini 27 April 2019 https://16633.mc.tritondigital.com/OMNY_GEORGEANDPAUL_P/media-session/9b5a2efe-272a-40c0-9641-b17cf2288010/d/clips/88b564ea-a9a6-4751-910a-a5d800019396/212b76cd-6901-42e3-aa87-a6820041d565/83b5fde5-ffad-45d9-a812-aa3c001ed695/audio/direct/t1556330036/3_Million_aussies_on_anti_depressants.mp3?t=1556330036&ttag=omny_clip_id%3A83b5fde5-ffad-45d9-a812-aa3c001ed695%2Comny_clip_title%3A3+Million+aussies+on+anti+depressants%2Comny_program_name%3AGeorge+and+Paul%2Comny_program_slug%3Ageorge-and-paul%2Comny_network_name%3A2GB%2Comny_organization_id%3A88b564ea-a9a6-4751-910a-a5d800019396%2Comny_playback_source%3Apodcast

https://www.2gb.com/tag/jon-jureidini/

Jon Jureidini. Concerns after data reveals three million Australians now using antidepressants. Ben Fordham.

Concerns after data reveals three million Australians now using antidepressants

2GB.com

ABC Radio 720 Perth- Breakfast with Nadia Mitsopolous 24 April 2019: Interviews with Dr Martin Whitely from PsychWatch Australia and Dr Harry Nespolon President Royal Australian College of GPs and talback callers (Note this is a recording of the whole program. The interviews begin at 2:44:28 and end at 3:16:00).

https://www.abc.net.au/radio/perth/programs/breakfast/breakfast/11027626

ABC Radio Adelaide- Breakfast 24 April 2019: Interview with Dr Martin Whitely (Note this is a recording of the whole program. The interviews begin at 1:18:55 and end at 1:28:30).

https://www.abc.net.au/radio/adelaide/programs/breakfast/breakfast/11027596

Summary - Interview with PsychWatch Australia Publisher and Curtin University Adjunct Research Fellow Dr Martin Whitely. Denny says they have a greater rate of prescribing antidepressants in Australia than most of the rest of the world. Whitely says there is research done by the OECD in 2015 which shows that Australia was second in the world only behind Iceland in terms of antidepressant use. He mentions the latest data released is for the 2018 financial year and has shown a surge since 2015 with more than three million Australians now on antidepressants.

Whitely explains he is concerned about the fact that more than 100,000 children under 18 are on antidepressants despite the lack of antidepressants actually approved for use by children. He notes antidepressants themselves carry a black box warning that was put on by the US FDA that indicates risks. Whitely says many of the people who told him that they regret using antidepressants mention they are easy to get on them but difficult to get off them. He states they need to be concerned that this seems to be the first line of response.

Whitely mentions about 85-90% of antidepressant prescription are done by GPs. He mentions he is aware of people who benefited from antidepressants after having suffered debilitating depression. However, Whitely says he is questioning that lack of an alternative and the numbers. He says the World Health Organisation rates Australians as the second most depressed people on the planet. Whitely mentions there are massive geographic differences in prescribing antidepressants.

He suggests if there will be a system that subsidises people taking the medication, there should be support for people who need to withdraw from them. Whitely says he is not aware of suggestions that people are using antidepressants as a weight loss technique. He mentions the UK just appointed a Minister for Loneliness last year in recognition of the fact that the epidemic of loneliness is causing great unhappiness in their country and, presumably, the rest of the world. Whitely says this is awareness of other factors aside from a medicalised approach.

Caller Michelle says she had a personal experience with antidepressants. She says there is a rise in antidepressant use because people are now aware of mental illnesses and are more open to accepting help. Michelle adds there is also an increase because of a surge in broken families.

SMS: Regarding changing antidepressants, listener says her partner had to change the kind he was taking to get into a more effective one but required a withdrawal period for the reintroduction of a new one. She says they both had to take time off work to help him get through it. Whitely says he has heard stories about antidepressants benefiting them but he has also heard about people attempting to get the medication off them for years. He believes there should be a step approach where the decision to take an antidepressant is not a result of a 15-minute consultation with a GP.

Radio 6PR, Perth, Mornings, Gareth Parker 24 Apr 2019 10:07 AM Duration: 9 mins 30 secs

Interview with Martin Whitely, Adjunct Research Fellow at Curtin University and publisher/editor of PsychWatch Australia.

Summary - Whitely says his website PsychWatchAustralia is about investigative reporting on the mental health system and mental health practice in Australia. He mentions the number of Australians on antidepressants is around three million. He notes 2% of children aged 12 to 17 and 15% of adults are on antidepressants. He states for people aged over 78 more than one in four are on anti-depressants. He adds the medications are prescribed to younger people for anxiety as well as depression, but for older people, it can be prescribed for other things as well. Whitely says anti-depressants and anti-psychotics are being used as behaviour management tools, according to the Royal Commission into aged care. He mentions he was a mental health advocate a number of years after he left politics and he saw that on a couple of occasions. He notes Prozac and SSRIs take up most of the anti-depressant prescription in the country. He states it's a good thing that people are responding to the advocacy of calling for help if they are not doing well in that regard, however, the appropriateness of the response is in question. He adds most antidepressant prescriptions are done by GPs. Whitely says during a consultation with a GP, being given a script is an expectation. Parker mentions taking the pill is just a part of a solution and it varies from person to person. Whitely says there is some support in terms of the better access system, which allows people to visit the psychologist.

However, even that has been wound up after a period of time due to how expensive it was. He mentions subsidising anti-depressants is a cheaper way of subsidising a lot of people very quickly, but it might be setting up people for a greater cost in a longer term. He notes Australia has adopted the American model of diagnosing a person with mental health illness, which is called the DSM-5, produced by the American Psychiatric Association. He states in 2013 the diagnostic criteria for depression has been broadened. He adds Australia has no input on how the DSM-5 was developed, so Australia needs to consider how the system impacts Australians.

Whitely says Australia has been ranked second from Iceland for anti-depressant use. He mentions that's a contradictory report along with the one released by the WHO, which states Australians are the second most depressed people on the planet behind Ukraine. However, he notes, self-ratings of Australians on how they fall on the happiness index, ranks Australia 11th out of 185 countries. He adds five out of 22 most liveable cities in the world are Australian cities.

Caller Michael says he underwent electrotherapy which made him lose a lot of his memories. He mentions after that he had to give up teaching. He notes he's been in remission for two and a half years. He states his main concern is how people deal with the illness, so he helps kids find jobs. He adds Scott Morrison said that he will allocate $14.5m into the matter which is great. Michael hopes most of the money goes to Mandurah because they have the highest youth unemployment rate in Australia. Parker talks about a person who had an issue with teeth grinding and was given three options, either to wear a mouth guard, do nothing or be prescribed with antidepressants. He says it goes to the point from Frank Quinlan from Mental Health Australia, who agrees that anti-depressants are being over-prescribed, but its the only tools doctors have.

Whitely says the US FDA put a black box warning on anti-depressant use by people aged under 25, as it doubles the risk of suicide. He mentions there's a spike in anti-depressant prescription to youths and there's also a spike to youth suicides. He notes UK just appointed a Minister for Loneliness in response to the epidemic of loneliness. He states if the government is helping in this matter, then they need to invest in the future of young people.

2Day FM, Sydney, 16:00 News, Newsreader 24 Apr 2019 3:59 PM

Duration: 0 min 32 secs

More than three million Australian are taking antidepressants, spiking fears many are having medicines unnecessarily. PsychWatch Australia Dr Martin Whitely says people need to ensure medications are not the first and only option.

Interviewee Dr Martin Whitely, PsychWatch Australia

Channel 9, Perth, Nine Afternoon News, Tracy Vo 24 Apr 2019 4:39 PM

Duration: 1 min 19 secs

There are revelations one in every eight Australians rely on anti-depressants. According to the latest figures from the PBS, there is also a staggering number of children under 17 also consuming them. The age range of people taking them between 38 and 57 are dubbed the 'Prozac generation'. PsychWatch Australia is using the data to say they believe people are being over-medicated and over-diagnosed when it comes to ingesting anti-depressants. During a Today Show interview, Dr Whitely from PsychWatch, this could be a case when medicating against the normal human emotion of grief. According to Whitely, GPs also don't have enough time with their patients in investigating other factors which may be causing sadness.

Newspapers (online)

Video: Three million reliant on antidepressants - Sydney Morning Herald

https://www.smh.com.au › Lifestyle › Health & wellness

Questions have been raised over GP's methods after data reveals one in eight people are dependant on antidepressants.

Also in the Brisbane Times at https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au › Lifestyle › Health & wellness

One-in-8 Aussies on anti-depressants - 6PR

https://www.6pr.com.au/podcast/one-in-8-aussies-on-anti-depressants/

New research suggests one-in-eight Australians are using antidepressants, including children. Dr Martin Whitely from PsychWatch Australia told Mornings with ...

One in every eight Australians now reliant on antidepressants ...

https://www.perthnow.com.au/.../one-in-every-eight-australians-now-reliant-on-antide...

Exclusive: Three million Australians — one in every eight people including children — are now reliant on antidepressants as concerns mount we are ...

New Data Shows More Than Three Million Aussies Have Been ...

https://www.hit.com.au/.../new-data-shows-more-than-three-million-aussies-have-been...

According to a report published on PsychWatch Australia, in the 2018 financial year, more than three million Australians were prescribed anti-depressants.

REVEALED: The worrying reason the number of Australian children ...

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/...australian...a.../ar-BBWecOv?...

In 2018 three million Australians were prescribed anti-depressants - one in eight people - according to data by health policy watchdog Psych Watch Australia.

PressReader - The West Australian: 2019-04-24 - Generation ...

https://www.pressreader.com/australia/the-west-australian/20190424/282930976766756

11 hours ago - Three million Australians — one in every eight people including children — are now reliant on ... A new watchdog on mental health policy, PsychWatch Australia, ...

Fears over 'frightening' rise of antidepressants | Queensland Times

https://www.qt.com.au/news/why-our-use-of-antidepressants-has-soared/3709545/

15 hours ago - A new watchdog on mental health policy PsychWatch Australia is highlighting the data to question whether the medical profession is medicating the normal ...

Fears over 'frightening' rise of antidepressants | Fraser Coast Chronicle

https://www.frasercoastchronicle.com.au/news/why-our-use...antidepressants.../3709545/

16 hours ago - With three million Australians reliant on antidepressants, experts have warned of a dangerous growth in the use of pills. And there are two big reasons for the ...

Fears over 'frightening' rise of antidepressants | Chronicle

https://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/why-our-use-of-antidepressants-has.../3709545/

by Sue Dunlevy. 24th Apr 2019 5:28 AM. EXCLUSIVE: Three million Australians - one in every eight people including children - are now reliant on antidepressants as concerns mount we are over-diagnosing and over-treating depression.

Fears over 'frightening' rise of antidepressants | Queensland Times

https://www.qt.com.au/news/why-our-use-of-antidepressants-has-soared/3709545/

Mental health researcher and former MP Dr Martin Whitely, who exposed how ... pathologises the normal human experience of trial and error," Dr Whitely said.

Fears over 'frightening' rise of antidepressants | Queensland Times

https://www.qt.com.au/news/why-our-use-of-antidepressants-has-soared/3709545/

Psychiatrist Jon Jureidini says antidepressants are overused and we are “medicating ... University of Adelaide psychiatrist Professor Jon Jureidini says ...

The scary reason the number of Australian children taking anti ...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/.../The-scary-reason-number-Australian-children-taking-ant...

10 hours ago - In 2018 three million Australians were prescribed anti-depressants - one in eight people - according to data by health policy watchdog Psych Watch Australia.

REVEALED: The worrying reason the number of Australian children ...

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/revealed-the.../ar-BBWecOv

Provided by Associated Newspapers Limited Mental health researcher Dr Martin Whitely wrote in his Psych Watch Australia blog that flaws in the healthcare ...

Australia: REVEALED: The worrying reason the number of Australian ...

https://pressfrom.info/.../australia/-119126-revealed-the-worrying-reason-the-number-...

In 2018 three million Australians were prescribed anti-depressants - one in eight people - according to data by health policy watchdog Psych Watch Australia.

Concerns after data reveals three million Australians now using ...

https://www.2gb.com/concerns-after-data-reveals-three-million-australians-now-using-...

Psychiatrist Dr Jon Jureidini, from the University of Adelaide, tells Ben Fordham too many doctors are prescribing the drug. “The marketing of antidepressants ...

REVEALED: The worrying reason the number of Australian children ...

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/revealed-the.../ar-BBWecOv

University of Adelaide psychiatrist Professor Jon Jureidini believes doctors are 'medicating disappointment,' The Daily Telegraph reported. 'I don't want to ...

One In 8 Australians On Antidepressants Amid Over-Diagnosing ...

https://www.urdupoint.com › Home › World › News

[may be explained by] our mental health system that is very sick, and hooked on a cycle of over-diagnosis and over-medication," PsychWatch Australia said.

Why our use of antidepressants has soared

Daily Telegraph

Data reveals one in eight Australians use antidepressants

The Advertiser

Three million Australians reliant on antidepressants

Herald Sun