Described as one of world's most prominent psychiatrists, Dr Allen Frances recently made the controversial claim that 'Donald Trump isn't mad, we are'. In this episode, he shares the thinking behind this now infamous statement that attracted both praise and condemnation from mental health professionals and media around the globe.

In recent years, Allen Frances headed the Taskforce which wrote the 4th edition of the influential psychiatric manual of mental disorders, the DSM. But now he's become one of its loudest critics. In this episode, Allen Frances argues that we're now taking every day experiences that are part of the human condition, overdiagnosing them as mental disorders and prescribing pills when there's not a pill solution for every problem in life.

Allen Frances also talks candidly to Ray about the time when he was the recipient of pharmaceutical company generosity - explaining his feeling now of regret and cautioning young doctors to avoid all financial ties with the industry.

For a full transcript of this episode visit https://australia.cochrane.org/trd-allen-frances-interview-transcript

02 Allen Frances

Ray Moynihan is a senior research assistant at Bond University,  a journalist, champion of rolling back too much medicine, and host of a new series “The Recommended Dose” from Cochrane Australia.

In the series, Ray has talked to some of the people who shape the medical evidence that underpin healthcare around the world - the series aim is to elucidating their worldview, and how their thinking shapes their work.

Over the next couple of months, we’ll be co-publishing the series - so keep an ear out for those interviews in your podcast feed.

Your recommended dose of Ray Moynihan

Do I really need this test, treatment or procedure? What are the downsides? What happens if I do nothing? And are there simpler, safer alternatives?
 
Dr. Ray Moynihan (@raymoynihan) joins BJSM’s Daniel Friedman (@ddfriedman) to discuss the growing problem of overdiagnosis and overtreatment, and what is being done to wind back the harms of too much medicine.    
 
Ray is an Australian academic, author and award-winning health journalist who completed his PhD on overdiagnosis in 2015 at the Centre for Research in Evidence-Based Practice at Bond University in
Australia, where he is also a senior research fellow. Having reported across print, radio, television and social media, Dr Moynihan has worked at the ABC TV’s investigative program, Four Corners and
the 7:30 Report, and The Australian Financial Review. He has also developed an impressive body of academic work published in the Lancet, the New England Journal of Medicine, PLOS ONE and the
BMJ.
 
Dr. Moynihan has won several awards for his investigative journalism, and his book ‘Selling Sickness’ (2005) was described in the New York Times as a “compelling case” and has been translated into a
dozen languages. His fourth book, ‘Sex, Lies &amp; Pharmaceuticals’ was released globally in 2010 and generated widespread interest internationally.
 
Dr Moynihan hosts the very popular podcast, ‘The Recommended Dose’, that is produced by Cochrane Australia and co-published by the BMJ. https://soundcloud.com/therecodo
 
In this 25 minute conversation, Dr Moynihan explains the drivers of too much medicine and
addresses:
       embracing healthy scepticism in healthcare
       the threat of too much medicine to our health
       the problem with diagnostic labels
       his ground-breaking discovery of a dangerous new disease
       what clinicians should do to practice ‘just the right amount’ of medicine (Goldilocks Principle)

Preventing overdiagnosis in 2018 with Dr Ray Moynihan Episode # 350

Not sure what The Recommended Dose is all about? These quick highlights from a few of Ray's many special guests will give you the idea... 

Catch all the full-length, wide-ranging interviews on series 1 and 2 of The Recommended Dose with Ray Moynihan wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.

Series 1 & 2 mini-mashup

Our latest series kicks off with Australia’s multi-award-winning health and science reporter, Liam Mannix. He joins Ray to share his insights into the role and impact of evidence, advocacy and investigative reporting in today’s ever-changing media landscape.

17 Liam Mannix

Hosted by acclaimed journalist and health researcher Dr Ray Moynihan, The Recommended Dose tackles the big questions in health and explores the insights, evidence and ideas of extraordinary researchers, thinkers, writers and health professionals from around the globe. Produced by Cochrane Australia and co-published with the BMJ.

02 Allen Frances

The Recommended Dose with Ray Moynihan

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