I am not buying that 60% of medical students, which are in their 20s, need antidepressants. What did people do 40 years ago, just commit suicides?!
I think there are other ways to deal with depression, and people always like to take the easy route.
Why aren't you buying it? You're a pharamacy student after all ... what on earth do you know about medical school anyway? Did you even take a minute to read up on these things? Do you think that pharamacists should look facts up or make them up off the top of their head?
Part of the reason that your response bothers me (besides your obvious lack of knowledge, which isn't uncommon) is that I knew a medical student who committed suicide. I also knew another student back in undergrad who committed suicide. Both of them were very talented. Both really had a lot to offer. Both suicides were unexpected and a total waste of life. Suicide is really not that uncommon and is an important cause of death, even among students in their 20s (actually especially so). I'm not sure if either of those two individuals was taking SSRIs. These drugs are pretty effective, but clearly not 100% effective. However, if they weren't I sure wish they would have gotten effective treatment.
Here is a little bit to get you started. I won't even start on your assessment on the application of psych drugs. It's obvious that you have zero clinical experience when it comes to depression and ADHD (I would guess a negative number if it were allowed) and have never looked beyond the likes of Us magazine to form your opinions in this matter.
I don't want to make it sound like medical school is all bad. Many (most?) people do like a significant part of their time in medical school (e.g., other than exam time, other than "bad" clerkships). It does have a significant amount of stress associated with it and learning to cope with this stress appears to be an important part of the process. I like medical school, but it's pretty obvious to me how it could aggravate depression or make life very difficult for someone with ADHD who might get by ok in other circumstances.
Julie M. Rosenthal, and Susan Okie, M.D. NEJM Volume 353:1085-1088, September 15, 2005, Number 11
"Medical students are more prone to depression than their nonmedical peers. Researchers recently surveyed first- and second-year medical students at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and found that about one fourth were depressed.1 Others have suggested that although the rate of depression among students entering medical school is similar to that among other people of similar ages, the prevalence increases disproportionately over the course of medical school.2 Laurie Raymond, a psychiatrist and the director of the Office of Advising Resources at Harvard Medical School in Boston, said that she met individually with 208 medical students — about one quarter of the student body — between July 2003 and July 2005. Thirty-one students (15 percent) presented with self-described depression — 20 of them with transient, "reactive" depressed mood that improved with supportive counseling or therapy and 11 who had a history of major depression. The majority (130 students) consulted Raymond because of concern about academic performance, but major depression was diagnosed in 25 of them."
Mayo Clin Proc. 2005;80(12):1613-1622 © 2005 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Medical Student Distress: Causes, Consequences, and Proposed Solutions
LISELOTTE N. DYRBYE, MD; MATTHEW R. THOMAS, MD; TAIT D. SHANAFELT, MD
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minn.
"Surveys in both the United States and abroad identify a high frequency of depression and poor mental health among medical students.3-10 In a study from the United Kingdom, more than one third of first-year students had poor mental health when measured with the General Health Questionnaire 12, which assesses anxiety and depression.3 Another study from the United Kingdom of that year students found that the incidence of poor mental health on the General Health Questionnaire 12 doubled during the first year, increasing from 25% to 52%.4 Other studies have reported similar findings5 and suggest that this decline in students' mental health persists throughout the remainder of medical school.6
In a 2002 survey of first- and second-year US medical students, 24% of students were depressed according to the Beck Depression Inventory.7 In a separate study, median Beck Depression Inventory scores increased 3-fold from the time of matriculation to the end of the second year, with 25% of students dysphoric, if not clinically depressed.8 Two additional studies of US students confirm a peak in depression during the second year of medical school, with gradual improvement during the third and fourth year of training.9,10
Despite the high prevalence of mental health–related concerns and ready access to mental health services, depressed medical students are no more likely than the general population to seek treatment for depression.7,11,50,51 Few students use mental health services,7,51 instead relying on the support of family and friends during periods of mental illness.51 Barriers to use of mental health services include lack of time, perception of academic jeopardy, concern regarding confidentiality, the stigma of mental illness, and cost.7,11,51 Some of these issues appear to be even greater barriers for female and minority students.11
...
Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among 20- to 30-year-olds in the United States.125 The annual suicide rate for male medical students between 1974 and 1981 was comparable to similarly aged men in the general population.126 Although the suicide rate for female students during this period equaled that of their male colleagues, it was 3 to 4 times higher than age-matched women in the general population.126 In a follow-up study of 101 US medical schools, 15 students were reported to have committed suicide between August 1989 and May 1994.127 All but 1 of these suicides were committed by men.127 In this study, suicide ranked higher as a cause of death in medical students than in similarly aged Americans.127
Annals of Internal Medicine, 2 September 2008 | Volume 149 Issue 5 | Pages 334-341
Burnout and Suicidal Ideation among U.S. Medical Students
Liselotte N. Dyrbye, MD; Matthew R. Thomas, MD; F. Stanford Massie, MD; David V Power, MD; Anne Eacker, MD; William Harper, MD; Steven Durning, MD; Christine Moutier, MD; Daniel W. Szydlo, BA; Paul J. Novotny, MS; Jeff A. Sloan, PhD; and Tait D. Shanafelt, MD
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
"Results: Burnout was reported by 49.6% (95% CI, 47.5% to 51.8%) of students, and 11.2% (CI, 9.9% to 12.6%) reported suicidal ideation within the past year. ...
Conclusion: Approximately 50% of students experience burnout and 10% experience suicidal ideation during medical school. Burnout seems to be associated with increased likelihood of subsequent suicidal ideation, whereas recovery from burnout is associated with less suicidal ideation.
