CCHR warns psychiatric drugs mortality risk

In an article published by the Brownstone Institute, Peter Gøtzsche, MD, director of the Institute for Scientific Freedom and a former professor of clinical research design and analysis at the University of Copenhagen, writes that “in hospital records and coroners’ reports, deaths linked to prescription drugs are often considered to be from natural or unknown causes,” rather than from the adverse effects of the drugs.  He adds that “this misconception is particularly common for deaths caused by psychiatric drugs.”

“I therefore do not doubt that psychiatric drugs are the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer,” he wrote.

Currently, nearly 11 million Americans aged 65 and older are on antidepressants, over 2 million are on antipsychotics, and 8.5 million are on antianxiety drugs.  Many are taking more than one psychiatric drug or drugs in more than one psychiatric drug class.  Gøtzscheo’s estimates suggest several hundred thousand deaths annually among older Americans could rightly be attributed to psychiatric drugs.