Bush to screen population for mental illness

Hamel · Post by **Hamel** » 2004-06-22 06:22pm

Sweeping initiative links diagnoses to treatment with specific drugs

© 2004 WorldNetDaily.com

President Bush plans to unveil next month a sweeping mental health initiative that recommends screening for every citizen and promotes the use of expensive antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs favored by supporters of the administration.

The New Freedom Initiative, according to a progress report, seeks to integrate mentally ill patients fully into the community by providing "services in the community, rather than institutions," the British Medical Journal reported.

Critics say the plan protects the profits of drug companies at the expense of the public.

The initiative began with Bush's launch in April 2002 of the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, which conducted a "comprehensive study of the United States mental health service delivery system."

The panel found that "despite their prevalence, mental disorders often go undiagnosed" and recommended comprehensive mental health screening for "consumers of all ages," including preschool children.

The commission said, "Each year, young children are expelled from preschools and childcare facilities for severely disruptive behaviors and emotional disorders."

Schools, the panel concluded, are in a "key position" to screen the 52 million students and 6 million adults who work at the schools.

The commission recommended that the screening be linked with "treatment and supports," including "state-of-the-art treatments" using "specific medications for specific conditions."

The Texas Medication Algorithm Project, or TMAP, was held up by the panel as a "model" medication treatment plan that "illustrates an evidence-based practice that results in better consumer outcomes."

The TMAP -- started in 1995 as an alliance of individuals from the pharmaceutical industry, the University of Texas and the mental health and corrections systems of Texas -- also was praised by the American Psychiatric Association, which called for increased funding to implement the overall plan.

But the Texas project sparked controversy when a Pennsylvania government employee revealed state officials with influence over the plan had received money and perks from drug companies who stand to gain from it.

Allen Jones, an employee of the Pennsylvania Office of the Inspector General says in his whistleblower report the "political/pharmaceutical alliance" that developed the Texas project, which promotes the use of newer, more expensive antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs, was behind the recommendations of the New Freedom Commission, which were "poised to consolidate the TMAP effort into a comprehensive national policy to treat mental illness with expensive, patented medications of questionable benefit and deadly side effects, and to force private insurers to pick up more of the tab."

Jones points out, according to the British Medical Journal, companies that helped start the Texas project are major contributors to Bush's election funds. Also, some members of the New Freedom Commission have served on advisory boards for these same companies, while others have direct ties to TMAP.

Eli Lilly, manufacturer of olanzapine, one of the drugs recommended in the plan, has multiple ties to the Bush administration, BMJ says. The elder President Bush was a member of Lilly's board of directors and President Bush appointed Lilly's chief executive officer, Sidney Taurel, to the Homeland Security Council.

Of Lilly's $1.6 million in political contributions in 2000, 82 percent went to Bush and the Republican Party.

Another critic, Robert Whitaker, journalist and author of "Mad in America," told the British Medical Journal that while increased screening "may seem defensible," it could also be seen as "fishing for customers."

Exorbitant spending on new drugs "robs from other forms of care such as job training and shelter program," he said.

However, a developer of the Texas project, Dr. Graham Emslie, defends screening.

"There are good data showing that if you identify kids at an earlier age who are aggressive, you can intervene ... and change their trajectory."

salm · Post by **salm** » 2004-06-22 06:34pm

this sounds like bush basicly wants to create a gigantic amount of slav... er community workers who get payed about one dollar fifty an hour for sweeping the streets which they have to invest in olanzapin, prozac and other crap produced by his corporation buddies.

muse · Post by **muse** » 2004-06-22 06:34pm

Does this mean Bush himself will be medicated and tossed in a rubber room along with 99% of all politicians?

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2004-06-22 06:36pm

Just what we need. More kids using drugs.

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2004-06-22 06:37pm

eh. . .WorldNetDaily isn't really the most reliable of sources. . .does anyone else corroborate this?

muse · Post by **muse** » 2004-06-22 06:46pm

Durandal wrote:Just what we need. More kids using drugs.

Because drugs are good...mmmmkay?

salm · Post by **salm** » 2004-06-22 06:47pm

Darth_Zod wrote:eh. . .WorldNetDaily isn't really the most reliable of sources. . .does anyone else corroborate this?

here´s another link:
link

and here´s the link to the freedom initiative info site of the white house. i haven´t read through it entirely because this formal english they use in government paper stuff is very hard for me to understand:

freedom initiative

Glocksman · Post by **Glocksman** » 2004-06-22 06:48pm

Darth_Zod wrote:eh. . .WorldNetDaily isn't really the most reliable of sources. . .does anyone else corroborate this?

No they're not, but when WND starts slamming Bush, you know he's in trouble with his base.

Doesn't the screening consist of asking if you voted for Bush or Kerry? If you vote for either, you're obviously insane and in need of Thorazine.

Illuminatus Primus · Post by **Illuminatus Primus** » 2004-06-22 06:52pm

Oh great.

Many psychiatrists believe that one cannot diagnose many personality disorders in childhood. And concluding that because a large number of children have trouble attending preschool and kindergarten that they all need drugs is fuzzy to say the least.

W is a fucking sell-out, this time, to our fucking children, trying to drug them up if they're disruptive to their impatient teacher.

Utsanomiko · Post by **Utsanomiko** » 2004-06-22 06:52pm

Do you realize just how quiet the internet is going to be if testing everyone for mental ilness gets pulled off successfully?

So much for seeing any more 'Transformers ripped off Digimon' sites, or getting stalked across message boards by some bipolar wacko, or Live Journals rambling about how everyone's out to get them, etc...

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2004-06-22 06:57pm

Darth Utsanomiko wrote:Do you realize just how quiet the internet is going to be if testing everyone for mental ilness gets pulled off successfully?

SD.net will lose all of its American members,there will be just Canadians and the rest of the world

Guy N. Cognito · Post by **Guy N. Cognito** » 2004-06-22 06:57pm

Hurray! Equilibrium is not far off. I'm going to become a Gramaton Cleric.
Or I should say. praise libria. i will endever to become the best gramaton cleric possible father.

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2004-06-22 06:59pm

I'm suprised he didn't list atheism or homosexuality as treatable diseases.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-06-22 07:00pm

Wow, another government measure ostensibly meant to protect children which will actually fuck them up. Colour me shocked.

Post by **Ghost Rider** » 2004-06-22 07:06pm

LOL...glad to see that we're trying to go that one step below brainwashing.

Ah, good to see Wertham's as well all the others who have subscribed to that aparticular thought still rings true today when quacks have nothing left laud upon.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-06-22 07:45pm

I have a slough of mild disorders(ADHD mild OCD tourrettes syndrome etcc).. if this goes through iI would be popping probably upwards of a dozen pills a day... I currently need no medication in order to function. This is fucked up.

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2004-06-22 07:50pm

Aly, send the amps this way

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2004-06-22 07:54pm

Funny, but it sounds to me like this sort of screening is optional, not mandatory. That does make more than a little difference.

The problem I have is that they're basically planning to medicate the little fuckers instead of just giving them the asswhooping they really need.

Wicked Pilot · Post by **Wicked Pilot** » 2004-06-22 07:54pm

It's the Freedom Initiative. You people aren't against freedom are you?

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-06-22 07:56pm

As I said, I went of meds alltogether because they impaired my academic functioning.

I was calm, didnt twitch, was still obsessed over perfect measurements and absolutly spotless lab equipment, but that is because I was trying to keep myself from falling asleep.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-06-22 08:19pm

Durandal wrote:Just what we need. More kids using drugs.

Does this mean the US gov't will put itself under arrest for becoming a faction of evil in the War on Drugs?

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2004-06-22 08:29pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote:
Durandal wrote:Just what we need. More kids using drugs.
Does this mean the US gov't will put itself under arrest for becoming a faction of evil in the War on Drugs?

No. Only addictive drugs which are not manufactured by billion-dollar corporations are bad.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-06-22 08:36pm

Durandal wrote:
Admiral Valdemar wrote:
Durandal wrote:Just what we need. More kids using drugs.
Does this mean the US gov't will put itself under arrest for becoming a faction of evil in the War on Drugs?
No. Only addictive drugs which are not manufactured by billion-dollar corporations are bad.

My bad. Maybe if I work for a mega-pharmaceuticals company, I'll be one of the proud that helps our society become normal.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-06-22 08:38pm

Wicked Pilot wrote:It's the Freedom Initiative. You people aren't against freedom are you?

If freedom means being forced to take expensive medications, yes.

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2004-06-22 09:04pm

Aren't the Bush family major shareholders in Lilly or some other major pharmaceutical company?