Generation RX Film Review

1. What is the main thesis of this film?

The main thesis was that the greed and corruption of pharmaceutical companies extends to over diagnosis of children and continuing to market drugs with known fatal side effects.

2.  What were the main arguments in support of the thesis?

- 1990's; 10 million children diagnosed with mental illnesses
- Pharmaceutical company made 69 billion dollars in drugs for children.
- Coloring books describing common situations which would make young children sad were pushed to diagnosis depression such as a friend moving away
- 400% increase in 2000 anti-psychotic prescriptions to kids and teens
- Pushing Prozac, Ritalin and Zoloft despite multiple cases of suicidal attempts or successes while on the medication
- Approximately 2000 suicides related to Zoloft alone
- Many more cases of severe and harmful personality changes, suicide attempts, random acts of violence, and other related behaviors
- Many of the most violent attacks on the public such as Columbine and Virginia Tech, the perpetrators were taken SSRI medications.

3. How does the thesis of the film relate to the course?

The theis of the film relates to the course because these diagnoses greatly change the lives of those children/people who have been diagnosed with them. We have discussed on numerous occasions that while some diagnoses can be a good/positive thing for medical or treatment purposes there is an incredibly large amount of negative stigmatization which accompanies these diagnoses even in school.

4. Which arguments/points did you find the most convincing?

- Everything covered under the arguments supporting the thesis.
- The personal stories shared in the meetings with the FDA from both those who attempted suicide themselves or those who lost someone because of the drug(s) being discussed.
- OSU Concluded that the prescriptions being taken were doing more harm than good for the diagnosed conditions
- Ritalin is prescribed for children just being children
- There is a clear relationship between the people determinig the criteria for various diseases listed in the DSM and those who stand to make a profit from those diagnoses

5. Which arguments/points did you find the least convincing?

None.

6. Choose one argument, point, or question that stands out for you. How would you study that point? Briefly design a research study around that point.

The most interesting point was the adverse effects of Ritalin. In order to further study this, I would conduct an unbiased study of children who were completely free of the drug (throughout their entire life) to be given  nothing and attempt to correct the target behaviors through positive and negative reinforcement. Another group of children would be given a placebo and the same type of reinforcement. The third group would receive Ritalin and no type of reinforcement.