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A Front Group for the Psycho-Pharmaceutical Industrial Complex
Updated: January 3, 2006 8:38 AM EST
TeenScreen National Advisory Council
Marilyn Benoit
Psychiatrist
"Claims that ADHD is not a real disorder or that it is caused by too much sugar or bad parenting are completely false and are, in fact, harmful to concerned parents trying valiantly to find ways to help their children," reported Marilyn Benoit , MD, child psychiatrist, assistant professor of Psychiatry at Howard University College of Medicine, and immediate past president, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. "Scientific studies demonstrate that the real problem is the under-treatment of ADHD among African American children and teens."
Marilyn Benoit , M.D., of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, cautioned that over-diagnosis of ADHD and inappropriate prescribing of Ritalin does not happen among psychiatrists who are well-schooled in the condition's clinical aspects, but instead occurs among pediatricians and family practitioners who are unfamiliar with both
Catherine "Deeda" Blair
Blair's biotech career started in 1983 with an exhibition of 30 years of Givenchy couture staged in Washington's gilded
Departmental Auditorium. For Blair, it was also an opportunity to impress a top pharmaceutical executive, whom she met when
they served together on a Federal Drug Administration committee.
Blair has gone on to earn fees or stock from at least a half-dozen drug and biotech companies including Novartis, where she still consults.
Source: Fairchild Publications, Inc., December 10, 2004
Novartis is the manufacturer of Ludiomil, Tofranil, Pamelor, Anafranil (depression)
Ritalin (Attention Deficit Disorder), Tegretol (bipolar disorder), Mellaril,
Clorazil, Serentil (schizophrenia)
Blair's son William was labeled "bipolar disorder" and had received "treatment".
William committed suicide by jumping out of a hotel window in May of 2004. According to the New York Post,
friends of William said that just three weeks before William lept from the hotel room in Chicago, he had
attempted to end his life with an overdose of sedatives on the West Coast. "His parents didn't even go out to see him when he
was hospitalized," said a close friend. The friend described Williams's relationship with his highbrow mom as extremely cold.
Joe English
Psychiatrist
Michael Hogan.
Director, Ohio Department of Mental Health
Commissioner, President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health
PR Newswire US
November 11, 2004
SOURCE Eli Lilly and Company
A Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Michael Hogan, PhD, chair of President Bush's New Freedom Commission on
Mental Illness. Dr. Hogan is commended for his stewardship and advocacy in the implementation of the New Freedom Commission
Report's recommendations.
Constance Lieber
President, National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression
NARSAD is the largest donor-supported organization in the world devoted exclusively to supporting scientific research on brain and behavior disorders. Since 1987, NARSAD has awarded $175.7 million in research grants to 2,067 scientists at 329 leading universities, institutions and teaching hospitals in the United States and in 23 other countries. By raising funds for research on psychiatric brain disorders, the pace has accelerated resulting in greater knowledge of brain functioning, neurochemistry, new/improved treatments and genetic origins.
Recent major corporate funders of NARSAD, according to their own web site, include:
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals
Bristol Meyers Squibb Company
Eli Lilly Pharmaceuticals
Forest Laboratories, Inc.
Janssen Pharmaceuticals
Pfizer Incorporated
Wyeth Laboratories
Stephen Lieber
Assistant Treasurer, National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (2003 Tax Forms)
NARSAD is the largest donor-supported organization in the world devoted exclusively to supporting scientific research on brain and behavior disorders. Since 1987, NARSAD has awarded $175.7 million in research grants to 2,067 scientists at 329 leading universities, institutions and teaching hospitals in the United States and in 23 other countries. By raising funds for research on psychiatric brain disorders, the pace has accelerated resulting in greater knowledge of brain functioning, neurochemistry, new/improved treatments and genetic origins.
Recent major corporate funders of NARSAD, according to their own web site, include:
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals
Bristol Meyers Squibb Company
Eli Lilly Pharmaceuticals
Forest Laboratories, Inc.
Janssen Pharmaceuticals
Pfizer Incorporated
Wyeth Laboratories
Robert Nau
Vice Chairman, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Directors of the AFSP include:
Cathryn M. Clary of Pfizer Inc., maker of Nardil, Sinequan, Zoloft (depression) and Navane (schizophrenia)
Harold Shlevin of Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. makers of Luvox (depression) and Lithobid (bipolar disorder)
Herbert Pardes
Psychiatrist
The Washington Times
September 20, 1991
Changing the labeling of Prozac and other anti-depressant drugs to warn of possible suicide risk is "unwarranted" because
there is no scientific evidence of such a risk.
"A change in labeling is likely to suggest such a linkage, and that is reckless,"
said Dr. Herbert Pardes, vice president for health sciences at Columbia University's
College of Physicians and Surgeons and past president of the American Psychiatric Association.
"It would needlessly frighten patients from seeking treatment and would discourage physicians
from prescribing these medications."
"It is important to remember that it is the disease of depression which is dangerous, not the
drugs used to treat it," he said.
United Press International
December 21, 1989
Psychiatrists recommend wider use of shock therapy
"ECT is a safe and very effective treatment for certain severe mental illnesses," Pardes said.
The New York Beacon
May 20, 1998
The Dean of the Columbia University Medical School is Herbert Pardes. He
is convinced that with top of the line equipment and good scientists they can
figure out what causes schizophrenia, why people commit suicide, why people get
depression, why children have major anxiety disorders.
"What we are looking for is better treatment with fewer side effects and
treatment effective as possible.
Robert Postlethwait
30 years experience with Eli Lilly and Company, where he served on the Operations Committee. He retired from Lilly in 1999 as the
President of Neuroscience Products Group. Prior positions include Vice President, CNS Planning; Area Vice President of Lilly
International (Western Europe); Executive Director of Corporate Engineering; GM and President of Lilly Brazil and Lilly Argentina;
and Director of Marketing for Agrochemicals, Lilly Italy. Bob served on the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health
(4/02 through 6/03) and is currently a Member of the Indiana Commission on Mental Health. Postlethwait is a member of the board of
DarPharma, Inc., a company that develops "novel" psychotropic drugs.
Eli Lilly is the manufacturer of Prozac (depression), Trilafon, Zyprexa (schizophrenia)
The domain name www.mentalhealthscreen.org is owned by Eli Lilly and Company.
Rona Purdy
Past President, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
"18 drug firms gave NAMI a total of $11.72 million between 1996 and mid-1999". These include:
$2.87 million, Eli Lilly and Company, maker of Prozac (depression), Trilafon, Zyprexa (schizophrenia)
$2.08 million, Janssen, maker of Risperdal (schizophrenia)
$1.87 million, Novartis, maker of Ludiomil, Tofranil, Pamelor, Anafranil (depression); Ritalin
(Attention Deficit Disorder); Tegretol (bipolar disorder); Mellaril, Clorazil, Serentil (schizophrenia)
$1.3 million, Pfizer, maker of Nardil, Sinequan, Zoloft (depression); and Navane (schizophrenia)
$1.24 million, Abbott Laboratories maker of Depakote, Depakene (bipolar disorder); Tranxene, (anxiety);
Cylert, (attention deficit disorder)
$658,000, Wyeth-Ayerst Pharmaceuticals maker of Ativan, Inderalm, Serax (anxiety); Asendin (psychotic depression);
Effexor, Surmontil (depression)
$613,505, Bristol-Myers Squibb maker of BuSpar (anxiety); Prolixin, Abilify (schizophrenia); Serzone (depression)
Source: Above dollar figures published in article entitled Prozac.org, by Ken Silverstein, November/December 1999 Issue, MotherJones.com
Jeanne Robertson
Vice President, National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression
NARSAD is the largest donor-supported organization in the world devoted exclusively to supporting scientific research on brain and behavior disorders. Since 1987, NARSAD has awarded $175.7 million in research grants to 2,067 scientists at 329 leading universities, institutions and teaching hospitals in the United States and in 23 other countries. By raising funds for research on psychiatric brain disorders, the pace has accelerated resulting in greater knowledge of brain functioning, neurochemistry, new/improved treatments and genetic origins.
Recent major corporate funders of NARSAD, according to their own web site, include:
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals
Bristol Meyers Squibb Company
Eli Lilly Pharmaceuticals
Forest Laboratories, Inc.
Janssen Pharmaceuticals
Pfizer Incorporated
Wyeth Laboratories
Joy Ruane
See next item below.
William Ruane
Co-Founder & Chairman, Ruane, Cunniff and Co., Inc.
Co-Founder & Chairman, Sequoia Fund
The New York Times reported on December 17, 1998 that William J. Ruane, an investment advisor, put $8 million into the screening
research of Shaffer, the TeenScreen psychiatrist. Ruane has had longstanding relationship with Shaffer. In June of 1995 the Ruanes
funded a professorship of Pediatric Psychopharmacology at Columbia University which "supported training and research into the
effectiveness of psychopharmacological agents in treating childhood psychiatric disorders".
The Psychiatric Times reported in March of 1998 that Ruane and wife Joy, gave 1.5 million to study the effects of psychiatric
drugs in children to the New York State Psychiatric Institute, Shaffer's home base.
According to a New York Post article in 1999, the New York State Psychiatric Institute conducted experiments on kids, some as
young as 6, with a powerful mood-altering drug and failed to tell the children or their parents about the most serious risks.
While testing the drug on 30 severely depressed patients ages 12 to 18, researcher's notes indicated "Some patients have been
reported to have an increase in suicidal thoughts and/or violent behavior". Records showed that at least four experiments used
this drug on young children including one funded by a large pharmaceutical company.
David Shaffer
Psychiatrist
Shaffer of Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute's Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, developed
TeenScreen.
Shaffer is listed in a January 2004 report as a consultant to Hoffman La Roche, the maker of Librium (anxiety)
and Glaxo Smith Kline, the maker of Eskalith, Lamictal (bipolar disorder); Stelazine, Compazine, Thorazine
(schizophrenia); Paxil, Wellbutrin (depression)
In December of 2003 British drug regulators recommended against the use of antidepressants in the treatment of depressed
children under 18 because some of the drugs had been linked to suicidal thoughts and self-harm. According to a December 11,
2003, New York Times article, Shaffer at the request of Pfizer, the maker of Nardil, Sinequan, Zoloft (depression)
and Navane (schizophrenia) attempted to block the British findings, sending a letter to the British drug agency saying that
there was insufficient data to restrict the use of the drugs in adolescents.
Shaffer was the president of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention who sent out a press release on May 8, 2000, saying
that they had just released a national survey they had done on suicide. The funder of the survey? Pfizer Inc.
Shaffer's American Foundation for Suicide Prevention also received $1,250,000 from Solvay Pharmaceuticals Inc., the maker
of Luvox (depression) and Lithobid (bipolar disorder)
Present directors of the AFSP include Cathryn M. Clary of Pfizer Inc., and Harold Shlevin of Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
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The Arizona Republic
August 16, 2002
"Programs like TeenScreen
experiment on kids, who will eventually end up on psychotropic drugs...I went through what I went through
because they were on antidepressants."
—Mark Taylor
Survivor - Columbine High School shooting
The Montel Williams Show
April 15, 2003
"Parents are being misled, they're being deceived about the unscientific and truly subjective nature of psychiatric
diagnosis and the addictive and potentially dangerous side effects of the drugs used to treat them."
—Bruce Wiseman
President
Citizens Commission on Human Rights, International
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
October 21, 2003
"Authorities in schools should be very cautious about these kinds of screening programs. It is easy to overidentify adolescents with problems, when they in fact don't have any problems. This in itself creates more problems."
—Louis A. Chandler
Chairman of the Psychology in Education Department
University of Pittsburgh.
The Olympian
September 25, 2004
"We should ask ourselves: What kind of
people would we have become if the government tested us and forced our parents to drug us in order to
settle us down?"
—Rosie Morton
The Washington Times
October 17, 2004
"America's schoolchildren should not be
medicated by expensive, ineffective and dangerous medications based on vague and dubious diagnoses."
—Dr. Karen Effrem
Pediatrician, Researcher
Eagle Forum
November 16, 2004
"Big Brother is on the march. A plan to subject
all children to mental health screening is under way, and pharmaceutical companies are gearing up for bigger
sales of psychotropic drugs."
—Phyllis Schlafly
Lawyer, Political Analyst and Author
The New York Post
December 5, 2004
"It's just a way to put more people on prescription drugs... such
programs will boost the sale of antidepressants ... even after the FDA in September ordered a black
box label warning that the pills might spur suicidal thoughts or actions in minors."
—Marcia Angell
Medical Ethics Lecturer
Harvard Medical School
United Press International
December 15, 2004
"What are the credentials of the screeners?
Most importantly, how many children have they raised to adulthood, and with what outcome?"
—Dr. Jane M. Orient
Executive Director
Association of American Physicians and Surgeons
South Bend Tribune
January 19, 2005
Teresa Rhoades and her husband, Michael,
said they're upset that their daughter took the screening without their knowledge. They monitor her
activities and personal contacts closely and don't like surprises. "We want to be sure we know what she's being
exposed to,'' Teresa Rhoades said.
Christian Science Monitor
January 20, 2005
"The pharmaceutical companies have been heavily involved in pushing programs like this, and they have an
obvious, overt economic interest...They'll sell a lot more drugs if they can get more people diagnosed
and put on them. We ought to be concerned about that."
—Sheldon Richman
Senior Fellow
Future of Freedom Foundation
Tampa Tribune
January 25, 2005
When Cheslea Rhoades took the test at her Osceola, Ind., high school last month, a clinician told her she demonstrated social anxiety and obsessive-compulsive tendencies.
She was stunned. So was her mom. "My daughter is an honor-roll student. She's in five clubs. There's nothing wrong with this kid," said Teresa Rhoades, Chelsea's mother.
Tampa Tribune
January 25, 2005
Board Chairwoman Nancy Bostock called the program "an intrusion for our students."
False labels could embarrass students and cause turmoil at home. "We could seriously
do more harm than good," she said.
Tampa Tribune
January 26, 2005
Pinellas school board member Jane Gallucci...said Tuesday that she was angry
that Laurie Flynn, of Columbia University, told a U.S. Senate committee on health and education matters 10 months ago that
pilot TeenScreen programs were operating in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
US Fed News
January 31, 2005
"It is important to understand that powerful interests, namely federal bureaucrats and pharmaceutical
lobbies, are behind the push for mental health screening in schools...the pharmaceutical industry is eager to sell psychotropic drugs to millions of new customers
in American schools."
—
Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas
St. Petersburg Times
February 6, 2005
Kramer saw the program as a thinly veiled attempt to get more kids into the psychiatric system and on psychotropic drugs. That, he said, is the real cause of high rates of teen suicide.
Des Moines Register
March 21, 2005
I see it as stepping into my role as a mom," said Pam Wheeler, who has a freshman and
a senior at Des Moines' Lincoln High School, an Iowa TeenScreen site. "If these are 15-and 16-year-old kids, depending on
the day of the week, or of the month, if they didn't make cheerleading or something, how does that affect this screening?"
she asked.
The Washington Times
March 29, 2005
"Journalists continue to be beguiled by speculative scientific
hypotheticals which psychiatrists discuss as though they have been proven. Misinformation is transmitted to the public about
unproven 'chemical imbalances' in the brain of depressed people - when, in fact, no evidence exists demonstrating any chemical
or structural brain abnormality in people diagnosed with a mental illness."
—Vera Sharav
Alliance for Human Research Protection
The Washington Times
March 29, 2005
To paraphrase Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," the fault is not in our children's brains or genes, but in ourselves,
and it is to our own treatment of children we must look to find an answer to their problems - and ours.
—
Keith Hoeller
Editor
Review of Existential Psychology & Psychiatry
Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph
May 9, 2005
"The claim children are suffering from a 'chemical imbalance',
the cornerstone of psychiatry's disease model, is nothing more than a myth."
—
Brian Daniels
Citizens Commission on Human Rights UK
Sarasota Herald Tribune
May 17, 2005
"Scientific truth cannot be suppressed permanently. Eventually it will be widely known that people with normal brains can become mad by living in toxic social environments, and that the best therapy is based on caring relationships.
I say this with trepidation because any criticism of the current chemical model brings angry denunciation from believers".
—
George W. Albee
Emeritus professor, University of Vermont
Independent Media TV
May 22, 2005
Its time to start placing the blame for the rise in teen
suicide where it belongs; on the greedy bastards involved in programs like TeenScreen who invent schemes to get our kids
hooked on these dangerous drugs in the first place.
—Evelyn Pringle
Letter to Florida Secretary of State
May 26, 2005
"I share the concerns of many of the proponents of this bill who draw attention to the all too frequent use of pharmaceuticals for children whose health and behavioral problems may benefit from other forms of intervention. Further, I am a firm supporter of parental notification in all types of medical care provided to children."
—Jeb Bush
Florida Governor
Chicago Tribune
June 5, 2005
"More screened kids means more money for psychiatrists and the pharmaceutical industry"
—Vera Sharav
Alliance for Human Research Protection
Chicago Tribune
June 5, 2005
"When I listened to constituents on this issue, I heard real fear in their voices . . . that their kids would be labeled"
—Chris Lauzen
State Senator, Illinois
Los Angeles Times
January 1, 2006
"The reason for this difference between psychiatry and other medical specialties has more to do with ideology than with science. A brief peek at both areas makes this point clear. All medicine rests on the premise that disease is a manifestation of diseased tissue. Hepatitis comes down to an inflamed liver, while lung tissue infiltrated with pneumococcus causes pneumonia. Every medical student learns this principle. Where, though, is the diseased tissue in psychopathological conditions?"
—Irwin Savodnik
Psychiatrist and philosopher - teaches at UCLA
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