Local Psychoanalyst Available to Comment on “Top 12” Antidepressant Study
Mark I. Levy, M.D., Faculty at San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis, Offers Insight “Lancet” Study
San Francisco, CA – January 30, 2009 – Mark I. Levy, M.D., faculty member of the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis and a forensic psychiatrist, offers his perspective on the recent meta study published by The Lancet which ranks the “top 12” antidepressants prescribed in American today. While the research study places the Zoloft and Lexapro drugs at the top of the list, Dr. Levy advises caution when trying to quantify the effectiveness of psychotropic medications. Dr. Levy is available for media interviews. Please call 925-798-9421 to schedule a phone or live interview with him.
“In a study like this, it is tempting to apply the ‘averages’ to everyone, but the averages don’t take into account the individual patient who is sitting in front of me in my office,” says Dr. Levy. “This rating would not change the way that I prescribe medicine at all. As all antidepressants are equally effective at reducing depression, I instead focus on the individual patient’s symptoms and tolerances and match them to the commonly known secondary effects of these drugs.”
In addition to focusing on a patient’s symptoms, Dr. Levy emphasizes the need for carefully monitoring of patients on antidepressants during the initial weeks after prescribing medication. This can ensure that the physician is monitoring patients’ reactions to antidepressants and that they not relapse into more severe depression or launch into mania. Another important variable to consider is whether the patient is in therapy and exhibits a strong connection to the therapist, who can inform the medical doctor of significant changes in the patient’s mood.
“Prescribing psychotropic medication, which can be life saving, is as complex and fraught with potential risks as prescribing chemotherapy for malignancies. Therefore, the prescribing physician needs to be knowledgeable both about pharmacology in general and about other medical illnesses,” says Dr. Levy. “That is why I believe the current push by psychologists in some states to gain prescribing rights is a poor and potentially dangerous idea.” However, psychotherapy is the essential “other component” of most effective treatment. Therefore, psychologists and psychiatrists trained in psychotherapy have a significant contribution to make to the overall recovery of a depressed person.
The San Francisco Center f or Psychoanalysis provides educational programs f or training psychoanalysts and mental health professionals in the San Francisco Bay Area. Psychoanalysts are experienced mental health professionals, already possessing advanced degrees (MD’s, PhD’s, MFT’s or MSW’s), who have undergone extensive training in psychological development and psychotherapy. The or ganization also hosts a broad variety of arts and academic programs f or the general public, access to the largest collection of psychoanalytic publications in the Western United States, and selected mental health service eff or ts such as the acclaimed Child Development Program. Visit www.sf-cp.org for more information.
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