According to Sandra Lucas, Evelyn Pringle and a number of other people, the TeenScreen program in the USA appears to be an exceedingly cynical, shady and dishonest partnership between drug companies and the US government that is likely to benefit only one group of people - corporate America.
The only potential downside?
The risk "..that no less than 14,058,000 American youth would end up labeled mentally ill.." and that ..."12,652,200 would be drugged."
Now I know there's scope for a large number of jokes, puns or whatever when you talk about millions of American youth being "drugged". I would normally attempt to be the first one in there with an awful plethora of what passes in my pathetic little head for wit but this is far too worrying a development even for me to joke about.
I have seen first-hand, the nearly disastrous results of negligent, ham-fisted prescribing of Seroxat without any meaningful monitoring by the prescribing doctor, or any other medical professional.
I got lucky and Seroxat probably saved my life but I have seen it very nearly end the lives of others.
Considering the fact that one could, I believe, easily label the pharmaceutical industry's and the medical profession's handling of the prescribing and monitoring of anti-depressants like Seroxat as "unfortunate" if not "negligent", stories like this should really leave you wondering if anybody in big business or government really cares about anything except their own wallet anymore?
It certainly does not appear to be any other way but you be the judge. Read the following and I think you'll agree, something reallly stinks.
TeenScreen - The Making of Mental Patients
"TeenScreen is designed only to increase psychiatric and drug company revenues by turning normal children into lifelong mental patients. Now is the time for anyone who cares about children and the future to step up and demand that mental health screening not be allowed in any schools at any time."
APA and Media Suppress Coverage of Bush Mental Health Testing Plan
"According to a recent release of MindFreedom News, the American Psychiatric Association Says the Bush Administration is "Appreciative" of APA Efforts to Suppress Mass Media Coverage of Facts and Stories Raised by the British Medical Journal Series, exposing plans to screen pregnant mothers and children up to 18 years for "mental illness" so as to provide treatment, which means prescription of psychiatric drugs. The controversial Bush plan was developed in his home state Texas and is, according to whistleblower Allen Jones, being exported to other states all over the US."
TeenScreen: Mandatory screening never entered its mind
"TeenScreen recently posted a whole slew of responses to the various allegations some of us (well mostly me, I guess) have made about its screening program to "set the record straight." I began my response with the intention of responding to the whole litany of lies but decided I best break them down and cover each lie one by one or I'd be here forever."
TeenScreen: Angel of Mercy or Pill Pusher
"The question is what is TeenScreen, an Angel of Mercy for suicidal teens, or a pill-pushing front group for Pharma? After investigating the program, I'd have to say the latter."
Healthy Skepticism has some related articles here.
It just so happens that I'm reading the rather spiffy science thriller, Alchemist, by Peter James
at the moment. What a nice "coincidence", eh? Apologies to anybody who's read the book already for that pun!
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