Drugs and Mental Health

Archive Report

Benefits and Risks in Use of Tranquilizers

Rapidly spreading use of tranquilizing drugs has aroused considerable concern among medical leaders. They feel that more time and study are needed to weigh the effects of the drugs on human beings. They tend to look on the current predilection for “happiness pills” as a medical fad, for they strongly suspect that the drugs are being prescribed for not a few individuals who receive no benefit from them and who may even be harmed.

Early enthusiasm for one or another of the drugs as a “miracle” specific for severe mental illness is being tempered by the more cautious reports of later investigators. Although the tranquilizers continue to be regarded as useful in the care and treatment of mental patients, ...

locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles