Originally Posted by
Taosaur
There's a lot more math in psychology than most people realize. Studies are subject to as rigorous a peer review as any other science. Now, psychiatric medicine as it's put into practice is another matter. Particularly at 'street level,' very little psychology is practiced. The sole aim of interacting with patients is to determine what drug(s) to throw at the problem, and the drug of choice depends as much on fads and pharmaceutical marketing as any genuine familiarity with current research. Really, it's a problem with medicine in general in this country: doctors become familiar with current research primarily through pharmaceutical marketing campaigns, which generally consist of $100-$125 per-plate dinners at fancy restaurants accompanied by a Power Point presentation, all on the drug manufacturer's tab, as was the original research in most cases. So, the question of what to prescribe comes down to who bought you the best steak while making a more-or-less adequate case for their product.