To the editors:
No one also mentions anything about psychotherapy research. Let’s do that now. Many studies compare the effectiveness of various professionals. There are over 60 at last count. Actually mostly what is compared is the effectiveness of professionals–those with graduate degrees like social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, family counselors, individual counselors, youth counselors, substance abuse counselors, pastoral counselors, and others with paraprofessionals–those without graduate degrees. Oh, yes, from their talking and arguing you would think that just their three groups–psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers–are the only groups of mental health professionals. I wonder why they don’t mention that over 50% of all mental health service is provided by persons other than those three groups according to the National Institute of Mental Health Survey for 1986.
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Sure lobbyist Paige for the Illinois Psychiatric Society says everyone should be examined by a psychiatrist for medical problems before going to another counselor or psychotherapist. She doesn’t say that medical problems which appear as mental health problems are quite rare and so hidden that psychiatrists frequently miss them too or refer to another specialist e.g., a neurologist for diagnosis. She would like everyone to pay a psychiatrist for virtually no benefit except of course for the psychiatrists. She also doesn’t say that most psychiatrists don’t even do psychotherapy, just prescribe medication. If clients don’t want medication then there’s little relief for them with a psychiatric examination except relief of their pocketbooks.
Allan Rohlfs
