Robert Whitaker, Irving Kirsch, Joanna Moncrieff, Pat Bracken, Giovanni Fava, Jaakko Seikkula and others are to participate in a June 14-15 conference, hosted by the Vatican, that will examine the evidence for (and against) the rise of psychiatric medication and fall of psychosocial treatment for children.
Press release for the June 13 press conference associated with the event:
Leading Experts to Speak at Vatican about the Controversy of Children and Psychotropics
Psychiatric medications have emerged as a first line of treatment for youth emotional and behavioral problems. Concurrently, the use of psychosocial intervention has fallen. An upcoming June 14-15 conference at the Vatican examines this trend—making accurate information available in an area typically shrouded in industry marketing—and asks, “Are the rising global prescription rates justified by the clinical trial evidence?” An interdisciplinary team of the world’s leading authorities, including award winning journalist Robert Whitaker (Anatomy of an Epidemic), acclaimed Harvard psychologist Irving Kirsch (The Emperor’s New Drugs), and renowned psychiatrists Sami Timimi, Giovanni Fava, Joanna Moncrieff, and Pat Bracken will examine and debate the controversy about the safety and effectiveness of psychotropics and other treatments, and conclude that based on the evidence, psychosocial options should be the first choice.
The following speakers, a multidisciplinary, multinational team of 4 psychiatrists, 4 psychologists, 1 social worker, 1 family therapist, and 1 journalist, will be available for interviews on a special media day, June 13 at the Hotel Columbus (via della Conciliazione 33, Roma, 06-686 5435) as well as throughout the conference:
Dr. David Antonuccio: Psychologist, Professor Emeritus, author of “Psychotherapy vs. Medication for Depression,” and recipient of the Bud Ogel Award for Distinguished Achievement
Dr. Pat Bracken: Psychiatrist, author of Postpsychiatry: Mental Health in a Postmodern World.
Dr. David Cohen: Clinical Social Worker, Professor, author of Mad Science and Your Drug May Be Your Problem, recent Fulbright-Tocqueville Chair to France
Dr. Barry Duncan: Psychologist, author of What’s Right With You, creator of a US designated evidence based intervention, and featured in award winning film, Comfortably Numb
Dr. Giovanni Fava: Psychiatrist, author of several important articles regarding long term effects of SSRIs, and is Editor-in-Chief of the high impact journal, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics
Dr. Irving Kirsch: Psychologist, Harvard Professor, and author of The Emperor’s New Drugs whose work was recently highlighted on “60 minutes”
Dr. Joanna Moncrieff: Psychiatrist, author of The Myth of the Chemical Cure, often featured on BBC radio, television, and website: http//news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8138893.stm
Dr. Jaakko Seikula: Psychologist, author of Dialogical Meetings in Social Networks, and developer of the “Open Dialogue” approach which treats person with psychosis with less medication and hospitalization
Dr. Jacqueline Sparks: Family Therapist, Professor, and author of “Pediatric Antipsychotics: A Call for Ethical Care”
Dr. Sami Timimi: Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Professor, author of Naughty Boys, and opinion leader in children’s mental health whose work has been featured on the BBC.
Mr. Robert Whitaker: Journalist, author of Anatomy of an Epidemic, which won the 2010 Investigative Reporters and Editors’ Association award for best investigative journalism, book category, of that year.
Contact Marcia Barbacki to schedule interviews by calling (561) 389-7363, or at [email protected]. Alternative contact: Dr. Barry Duncan at [email protected] or (561) 561-3640