Effectiveness of Pharmacology and Psychotherapy

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Mental health issues are a growing concern in Australia with the likelihood of 1 in 5 people experiencing a mental illness during their life (Hungerford et al, 2012). Mental health can be defined as the way a person feels, thinks, interacts with others and behaves. Pharmacology, psychiatrists, psychologists, community services and counsellors assist in the treatment of mental illness. Pharmacology is a study of drugs, including their origin, composition and reactions of drugs in relation to their therapeutic use (Hungerford et al, 2012. Based on current research it has been found that due to de-institutionalisation of mental health patients, the use of pharmacology in the treatment of mental health issues has increased significantly (Schatzberg, & Nemeroff, 2013). Studies have shown that using drugs to treat severe depression and schizophrenia are effective. Additionally, there has been reliable results’ demonstrating that for a large number of non-psychotic illnesses, using psychotherapeutic interventions is beneficial over drugs (DeAngelis, 2008). While both pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches assist mental health patients with alleviation and containment of the condition, the pharmacology approach may be influenced by pharmaceutical companies, could cause adverse effects with other medication and requires regular regimentation. Conversely, non-pharmacological interventions may not have side effects but can be slower and less effective on their own. It will be debated that, although there are limitations with utilising pharmacology or psychotherapy in isolation, the combined usage of pharmacology and psychotherapy is effective in the treatment of mental illnesses in particular mild to moderate depression and schizophrenia. Depression is a mental illness that is believed to be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Pharmacological treatment
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