Internet 'more helpful than GPs'

Friday, 9 September 2005 12:00 AM

Mental health patients find the internet more useful than their GPs in helping them come off psychiatric drugs, a new study claims.

Research by charity Mind finds 40 per cent of respondents saw their doctors as "not helpful" the process, with ten saying their GP "made things worse".

It puts the internet and email groups on top as the most helpful source of advice and support, with 94 per cent of respondents finding them helpful.

The report also claims doctors were unable to predict who could come off medication successfully. More than half (53 per cent) of those who came off against doctors' advice succeeded, compared to 44 per cent of those whose doctors recommended it.

"This study shows that it is vital for doctors to listen to their patients, and so have a better understanding of patients' perspectives of their medication, and of the difficulties of coming off," said Mind policy officer Alison Cobb.

"People who want to come off their drugs must have their decision respected, and be practically supported even by professionals who may not agree with them."

Sixty per cent of those interviewed experienced problems in coming off psychiatric drugs in general, with 68 per cent saying they found it difficult to come off SSRIs, a widely used group of antidepressants including drugs such as Prozac and Seroxat.

Of those interviewed, 30 per cent said they had been compelled under the Mental Health Act to take psychiatric drugs, 52 per cent had felt under threat of compulsion, and 70 per cent had felt pressured into taking them.

The study interviewed 204 people over the phone, before following up 45 of these calls with in-depth interviews about how helpful different kinds of people, resources or activities had been.

Mayur Lakhani, chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners, said he was sorry to hear of the difficulties expressed in the survey, but referred to recent surveys showing high levels of satisfaction within the doctor-patient relationships.

"However, conflict can arise when doctors feel it is clinically inappropriate for patients to come off medication, particularly when this could lead to a condition flaring up," he said.

"GPs would like to spend more time with patients and there is no doubt that mental health problems are a common problem. There is a real need for more talking therapy in GP practices."

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