Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America

This updated edition includes a new foreword and afterword with recent research. The book investigates why the number of disabled mentally ill people in the United States has tripled over the past two decades. Whitaker examines psychiatric medications and their role in this trend, weaving together personal accounts from children and adults affected by mental illness. The book explores how other societies have altered their approach to psychiatric medications and achieved improved outcomes, while questioning why similar changes have not occurred in the United States. Whitaker analyzes long-term studies that point to consistent conclusions about psychiatric treatment, and argues that medical approaches to addressing the epidemic of disabling mental illness already exist but have not been widely implemented.