Study Reveals Psychiatric Manual Financially Linked to Big Pharma

A group of US researchers have found links between drug companies and the co-authors of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM, know as the 'bible' of people in the fields of psychology and psychiatry.

The researchers found that over half of the 170 experts who worked on the most recent edition, the DSM IV, had at least one financial link to a drug company, be it in the form of consulting fees, ownership of company stock, payment for gifts and travel or funding for research.



I've had this suspicion for quite some time now, ever since I did 7 semesters in college on psychology before deciding that I'd much rather be a writer instead of a shrink.

Although some psychological problems I studied about do indeed exists, some of the "disorders" I studied that have their specific "medication" for seemed little more than minor blips in personality brought about by stressful circumstances -- nothing a hot shower and a good massage can't solve.

Now we know. Big Pharma had a hand in inventing these "disorders".

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Thread:
Drug Companies Inventing Diseases!

There are many hands in the American candy dish. I cannot say this development surprises me.

I find it very interesting that this article is Australian. I plan to watch the American media, et al, to see if it pops up in the US.

Good post. This is a very important topic.

Does anyone actually think its possible to have such an important manual and it not have connections to the pharmaceutical industry? Thats the industry that employs lots of these people, and that invests the money in these things. Its going to be expected that there are connections.

What would be more intersting would be to study if these guys actually made biased and false statementsin the manuals, made changes without supporting evidence that helps out certain drugs and drug companies that they themselves worked for and are still on the payroll for.

[edit on 21-4-2006 by Nygdan]

Well, the problem highlighted in the source article is the lack of transparency between the links, not the links per se.

To me, that is suspicious behaviour and I've got my tin-foil hat on.