Findings from a study at the University of Michigan led by Dr. Donovan Maust, a geriatric psychiatrist and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, suggest that physicians and insurers should reassess psychotropic drug use among the elderly:
“…psychotropic drugs generally pose greater risks to the elderly than they do to younger patients, and non-drug approaches, from therapy to meditation, may be as effective as psychotropic medications for some seniors’ mental disorders, without the risks.”
“No one is suggesting that an art class, for instance, will totally cure depression. [Dr.] Maust wants to be clear: Medications are important and appropriate care in many cases. ‘But for some of these [elderly] people,’ he adds, ‘an art class might work pretty well.'”
EngAGE would agree! Read more here.
