Editorial

The lead article in this issue deals withrecent significant legislation in Canada. Thesechanges may prove significant in maintainingthe progress made in the conquest of emo­tional and mental illness.

It is interesting to note that most psychia­trists, whether they are orthodox in theirFreudian thinking, or reformed by exposureto the influence of Homey, Sullivan, ]ung orothers, have accepted the advent of psycho­pharmacology as a significant advance in themanagement of emotional and mental illness.It seems that Freud may still be correct in hisprediction that biochemistry might somedayovertake psychoanalysis. It is neverthelesspainfully evident that pills and potions donot solve problems and just cannot do so.Nevertheless, it is also evident that psycho­therapeutic techniques can be modified by theaddition of drugs so that treatment can beshortened in many instances. In some, visitscan become less frequent thus creating less­ened dependency on the therapist, which insome instances can become more addictingthan dependency on drugs, whether they arelisted in the recent Drug Abuse Act or not.

Recent years, however, have witnessed adistressing deterrent to psychiatric drug re­search. The FDA, mindful of the thalidomidetragedy, is understandably super-sensitive todrug re~earch and its problems. Drugs mustbe safe and must also be proven to be effica­cious. These criteria are certainly logical as

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well as undeniably rational, except that manydoctors still don't know how aspirin worksand like to prescribe it; and so it is with ECTwhich somehow does what nothing else doeswhen it is used at the right time for the rightpatient.

The impact of the FDA on drug researchin the U.S.A has been nothing short of deva­stating, Clinical research by seasoned investi­gators has reached almost a complete halt inmany instances. Progress in psychopharma­cology, the brightest beacon in the long andtroubled history of psychiatry, has been fur­thered by a few who are courageous enoughto meet the ever-increasing rigid standards ofthe FDA in the United States. This agency,surely a necessity, has apparently in someinstances, become more intent on investi­gating the investigators than the results oftheir investigation. It is therefore with hopeand optimism that we welcome Canada's moreliberal control of drug research.

Psychosomatics is proud indeed that thismanuscript was sent to us. It seemed impor­tant enough to postpone publication of a pre­viously scheduled article already in the galleystage. Anything that can offer a ray of hopein these troubled times should receive prior­ity. Whether Canada's new FDA regulationssimply offer a bit of optimism or just a prom­ise for a magical solution to insoluble prob­lems, publication seems justified.

W.D.

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