Put simply, Whitaker and the Mad in America anti-psychiatry folks are adamant that anti-psychotic medication for schizophrenia makes people sick and shortens their lives. Research fails to support these contentions but they persist and the data is ignored.

This is Prevention Week, part of Mental Health Awareness Month in the U.S. Too bad that the policies promoted by the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), make it more likely that people with the most severe psychotic disorders -- schizophrenia and bipolar disorder -- will remain ill.

Selective quotes taken out of context do not benefit our understanding of serious and persistent mental illness. It is important for all (consumers, family and professionals) to have a shared understanding of all the facts.