A head-to-head debate published in The BMJ was centered on the question "Does long-term use of psychiatric drugs cause more harm than good?" One of the debaters stated that virtually all psychotropic drug use could be stopped without deleterious effects, claiming that these drugs have minimal benefits, are immensely harmful, and cause more than 500,000 deaths each year. In the current article, this conclusion is disputed by the discussion of the history of psychiatric therapeutics, limitations of research investigations, inherent morbidity and mortality associated with mental disorders, and importance of direct care experience with psychiatric patients and their families.
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