July 31, 2009 — American attitudes toward psychiatric medications are becoming more positive, with more and more believing these drugs work at relieving panic attacks and anxiety, a new study shows.
For the study, which appears in the August issue of the journal Psychiatric Services, researchers compared the responses of people who participated in the U.S. General Social Surveys in 1998 and 2006.
The researchers found:
68% of those surveyed in 2006 think psychiatric medications make us feel better about ourselves, compared to 60% in 1998.
83% think these drugs help us deal better with the stresses of everyday life, vs. 78% 11 years ago.
76% think these drugs make it easier to deal with family and friends, compared to 68% in 1998.
49% of Americans are now willing to take drugs to battle depression, up from 41%.
64% think these medications help us deal with panic attacks.