To the Editor,
As a long-time reader of The Economist, I was struck by your January 14, 2023, article “GRAPHIC detail: Antidepressants.” It was astounding to see your publication arrive at a similar conclusion to my own research on risk reduction, namely that there are serious, systemic problems within the mental health sector. It’s a powerful validation to have an independent third party of your caliber confirm these issues.
From a horizontal perspective, the annual cost of mental health challenges across jurisdictions is staggering, with some estimates reaching 4% of GDP. This represents a significant squandering of resources and a negative multiplier effect that lacks accountability.
A decade ago, I developed the Layton Risk Analysis Equation:
Risk = (1 – Rate of Application of Medical Protocol where failure is not an option) × 100
This equation provides a way to measure performance and patient risk. All too often, a wrong diagnosis or incorrect medication can turn a treatable condition with positive outcomes into a chronic one, where the focus shifts from a cure to mere stabilization.
Risk Reduction offers a preventative and cost-effective approach to this problem. Our work is so aligned with your own reporting that we have been granted permission to republish your articles without a fee. We believe that your readership—a group of informed and influential individuals—deserves to be exposed to this problem and understand that solutions like Risk Reduction are available.
We can provide a remedy to this crisis for less than a nickel a day, making it accessible across all social classes. It’s time for leadership to step up and address this issue directly.
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