How To Be An Educated Consumer of Mental Health News

Introduction

Some familiar headlines:

OVERPRESCRIBING PROMPTED WARNING ON ANTI-DEPRESSANTS (NY Times, March 24, 2004) The FDA issues a public health advisory advising monitoring the use of antidepressants for warning signs of suicide.

ANTI-DEPRESSANTS SEEN AS EFFECTIVE FOR ADOLESCENTS (NY Times, June 2, 2004) – Results of a study supported by the National Institute for Mental Health support studies revealing that medication and cognitive behavioral therapy were effective in treating adolescent depression and reducing the risk of suicide.

Which headlines are right? It's no wonder the public is left feeling confused and unsure of what to believe and more importantly, unsure of what lifestyle changes to make, if any, to improve the emotional health of children and adolescents. With conflicting reports announced from the same or different studies or analysts, individuals understandably become skeptical.

At its best, reports in the media help the public become aware of critical issues and they digest dense technical and statistical information that has relevance to every day life. As news reports contribute to awareness of problems, they also report attempts at solutions. An example: In regard to the headlines cited above on the use of antidepressants, follow-up news reports noted the tendency of drug companies to focus on positive results of trials while playing down trials with negative or inconclusive findings. Also reported was a proposal requiring that each drug trial at its start be listed in a public database or registry is being considered by the American Medical Association, the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, and is endorsed by several drug companies.

At its worst, reports in the media of inaccurate or incomplete information can be harmful to one's health. It is important to become a critical and competent consumer of mental heath stories in the news.

Here are some questions to ask when sorting out the scientific results from the unsupported reports.

1. What is the goal of the story?

If a story appears in a newspaper or a magazine or on television that doesn't automatically make it true. The goal of the research may be to help the public, advance a new finding, or refute an established belief. However, the goal of the news organization is different. The media are in business to attract readers and to make money. Even good reporters don't always ask the right questions, don't know the whole history of the story or issue, and since they have deadlines to meet, they may emphasize what they consider to be the most attention-catching results of studies. There are always three levels of bias to consider when hearing any report: the reporter, the researcher, and the reader all have a particular subjective opinion or belief which colors how information is obtained and understood.

2. What is the origin of the report?

News information is gathered from different sources. Look for the origin of the story to determine whether it's derived from a scientifically designed study, a survey, a case history, an opinion poll, or an opinion. Does the story state whether the results are based on a specific sample of the population with a matched control group or was it a random phone survey or internet poll? Was the study based on a double-blinded, randomized controlled trial – which means that neither the researcher nor the trial participants know who is receiving the treatment or a placebo. The source of funding for the study and the number of participants are two important factors in deciding how important the findings are likely to be.