Robert Whitaker

Join us as American journalist and author, Robert Whitaker, discusses his work as detailed in Mad in America and Anatomy of an Epidemic, exposing the troubling history and consequences of psychiatric treatment in America. He discusses how psychiatry’s shift from moral treatment to medication-driven care, fueled by media hype and pharmaceutical influence, has led to an “iatrogenic epidemic” of chronic mental illness. Whitaker critiques the overstated promises of drugs like Thorazine and Prozac, which were claimed to “empty hospitals” but often worsened long-term outcomes. Join us for a thought-provoking conversation challenging conventional wisdom and advocating for a reevaluation of mental health care.

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Discussion with Robert Whitaker, author of Mad in America and Anatomy of an Epidemic, about his 25 years of work related to creating a better understanding and paradigm for the science and studies involved with understanding mental health issues and challenges.

In 1980, when the American Psychiatric Association published the third edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, it adopted a 'disease' model for categorizing and treating mental disorders. That model was then promoted around the world. Today, the results from that model are in. The model has proven to be scientifically bankrupt and it has produced a public health disaster. We need a new narrative to govern psychiatric care, and a review of the past provides a key for creating that future: Think of those who suffer as 'brethren,' and humanistic care that has been shown to help people get well will follow.

This is a recording of the livestream from November 10, 2022 of a lecture with Robert Whitaker titled Rethinking Psychiatry: How the Failure to Identify the Biological Causes of Major Mental Disorders Opens Up New Possibilities for Long-term Recovery.

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International Institute for Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal online conference Friday 6th May 2022. Introduction from Kleoniki Yannakopoulou, IIPDW Board Member.

Today on The Dhru Purohit Podcast, Dhru digs into the questions surrounding psychiatric drugs with Robert Whitaker

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In this talk, Robert Whitaker reviews the science that calls for a radical change or evidence-based paradigm shift in psychiatric care, and describes pilot projects that tell of a new way.

Bob Whitaker - Why I changed my mind about psychiatry and its diagnoses - from the A Disorder For Everyone Festival, held September 18, 2020.

Interview with Robert Whitaker, 2019. Robert Whitaker is an American journalist and author who has won numerous awards as a journalist covering medicine and science, including the George Polk Award for Medical Writing and a National Association for Science Writers’ Award for best magazine article.

Bob Whitaker, journalist and scientist, gives an extremely informative and lively interview about the latest big lie from psychiatry (it is a whooper) and about encouraging developments in Europe with drug-free inpatient treatment.

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Fra konferansen Økende medikalisering og lansering av boken "Medikalisering av psykososiale problemer" på Litteraturhuset i Oslo 1. oktober 2019.

Recovery Rates and Long-term Outcomes for Unmedicated Patients with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders. Oslo, Norway 2017.

Robert Whitaker speaking at Open Dialogue Event.

Anatomy of an Epidemic: History, Science, and the Long-term Effects of Psychiatric Medications. The burden of mental illness in our society, as measured by the number of people on disability due to mental illness, has dramatically increased in the last 35 years. This raises the following question for Robert Whitaker: How do psychiatric medications affect people over the long-term? What do history and science show?

Why, when all the research shows that antipsychotics to more harm and good, and when Open Dialogue has proven that mental health problems can be treated without the use of longterm medication, do we not change over to this more humanistic way of mental health care?

"Rethinking Psychiatric Care: Alternative Programs That Are Models for Reform"

Robert Whitaker, author of Anatomy of an Epidemic, discusses the disturbing effects of psychotropic drugs prescribed for children. In this talk he emphasizes two things: first, the need for an objective, evidence-based approach to evaluating these drugs; and second, the need for better public understanding of how these medications work.

Whitaker's work has alerted both the medical community and the general public to the serious dangers of psychotropic medicines when used for extended periods. He has become a standard reference for the facts.

Robert Whitaker talks about the past, present and future of Mad in America, a website dedicated to rethinking the current paradigm of psychiatric care.

Rethinking Psychiatric Care: If We Follow the Scientific Evidence, What Must We Do To Better Promote Long-term Recovery?

Robert Whitaker is a science and medical writer. His newest, Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America, won the Investigative Reporters and Editors book award for best investigative journalism in 2010.

Robert Whitaker, author of "Mad in America" and "Anatomy of an Epidemic", discusses the effects of psychiatric medication his keynote address at the second international WRAP Around the World Conference in Oakland, CA. He talks about the emergence of the medical model paradigm of care in the 1980s, increased spending on psychiatric pharmaceuticals, and the research on whether medication is ultimately helpful or harmful to those who take it.

Soteria conference in Brigton, December 2012. About the Open Dialogue method. Robert Whitaker and Kermit Cole.

Robert Whitaker speaking at the Imagining A Different Future in Mental Health in Philadelphia, 6th May 2012. He explains how data shows we could have far better outcomes for people diagnosed with mental illness by using psychiatric drugs selectively, rather than putting so many people on these very harmful medications.

Keynote presentation by author Robert Whitaker at the 2011 Rethinking Psychiatry Conference in Portland Oregon. Robert presents from his most recent book, "Anatomy of An Epidemic," which is a study of the pervasive use of drugs to treat mental illnesses in western medicine.

In Anatomy of An Epidemic, Robert Whitaker, acclaimed medical author and journalist, asks "Why has the number psychiatric diagnoses given to adults and children skyrocketed over the past 50 years? Why does this epidemic parallel so closely the growth and dominance of psychiatric drugs as treatment?". The acclaimed US medical journalist documents a history of science and medicine that raises a heretical question: Could this drug-based approach actually be fuelling this modern-day plague? Whitaker argues we need to start an open conversation about how to stem the epidemic of disabling mental distress in society and move to an approach that helps people get well and stay well over the long term.

The 1998 Pulitzer Prize Finalist and author of "Mad in America" discusses the rise in diagnosis of mental illness in the U.S. and the proliferation of drugs to medicate various conditions. Mr. Whitaker contends that drugs do little to balance imbalanced brain chemistry. The event is at the National Arts Club in New York.

Robert Whitaker shares the challenges he faced while writing his book "Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America," which looks at the merits of psychiatric medications through the prism of long-term results. This lecture was presented by Science for the Public and recorded on 5/4/10.

Bob tells us what the research really has to say about the best mental health treatment options for individuals who have been labeled with severe mental health disorders.

Excerpt from the full length documentary "The Truth about 'Schizophrenia". Schizophrenia is said to be caused by chemical imbalances that are "fixed" by neuroleptic drugs. The truth is there is no evidence for such imbalances. "On November 4, 2003, Dr. Loren Mosher and author, Robert Whitaker, were interviewed by Dr. Daniel Kriegman. During the course of this in-depth discussion, Loren and Bob provided an extensive overview of what is known from the scientific study of "Schizophrenia," its causes, prognosis, and treatment.