Use of Psychopharmacological Medications

Running head: SEDATIVE MEDICATIONS AND BEHAVIOR CONTROL
THE CONTROVERSY OF THE USE OF PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATIONS TO
CONTROL BEHAVIORS AND MANAGE SYMPTOMS FOR PEOPLE WHO
EXPERIENCE MENTAL ILLNESS
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

1SEDATIVE MEDICATIONS AND BEHAVIOR CONTROL
As per the report of Aihw.gov.au (2020), more than 20.9% of the entire Australian
population in the year 2019 suffered from one form of mental health issue or the other and the
most common ones being anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, substance use disorders,
schizophrenia and others. Branford et al. (2019) are of the viewpoint that over the years it had
been seen that different kinds of treatment methods like behavioral therapy, psychotherapy,
medications and others have been used by the mental healthcare professionals for the purpose of
facilitating the recovery of the patients. However, in the recent times it had been seen that the
different healthcare professionals are increasingly resorting to the usage of sedative medications
for the purpose of controlling the behavior of the mental health patients and it had been seen that
more than 69% of the individuals out of the total number of individuals suffering from mental
health issues in Australia have reported to undergo this (Sheehan et al., 2018).
More importantly, as per the stipulations of the Mental Health Act 2015 (ACT), the
healthcare organizations and also the mental healthcare professionals have been given the power
to use restrictive actions and also a wide range of medications, therapies and others for offering
the required treatment to the patients who pose a significant threat to themselves and also
towards the society (Health.act.gov.au, 2020). However, the important issue arises since it had
been seen that the healthcare professionals actively take the help of different kinds of sedative
medicines like Thorazine (chlorpromazine), Trilafon (perphenazine), Stelazine (trifluoperazine),
Serentil (mesoridazine) and others which although helps in controlling the behavior of the
patients yet cause various side-effects or negative-effects to the health of the patients as well
(Lamb & Weinberger, 2017). This in turn had raised a controversy regarding the effectiveness of
the psychotropic medication approach which is being used by the mental healthcare professionals
for administering the required healthcare treatment services to the patients suffering from various

2SEDATIVE MEDICATIONS AND BEHAVIOR CONTROL
mental health issues. The purpose of this paper is to undertake an analysis of the controversy of
the use of psychotropic medications to control behaviors and manage symptoms for people who
experience mental illness while highlighting the challenging aspects that the registered nurses
encounter for administering psychotropic medication to the patients.
Sheehan and Hassiotis (2017) are of the viewpoint that an important factor which had
substantially contributed towards the widespread usage of different kinds of psychotropic
medicines or drugs for offering the required mental healthcare treatment services to the
individuals suffering from various mental health issues can be attributed to the benefits offered
by the usage of the same. Adding to this, Lamb and Weinberger (2017) have noted that the
different kinds of medicines like Thorazine (chlorpromazine), Trilafon (perphenazine), Stelazine
(trifluoperazine), Serentil (mesoridazine) and others over the years had helped the healthcare
professionals to facilitate the recovery of the mental health patients effectively. Furthermore, a
study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health found that the usage of selective
serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) Paxil is especially helpful for the treatment of the patients
suffering from depression, anxiety and other similar kinds of mental health issues (Branford et
al., 2019).
However, at the same time it needs to be said that there are various negative effects or for
that matter side-effects of the extensive usage of these medicines or drugs as well despite the
benefits offered by them. For instance, prolonged usage of these medicines or drugs for
administering the required treatment to the mental health patients can cause dizziness, sleep
disturbance, loss in appetite, loss of weight, drowsiness, emotional disturbances and others which
in turn can aggravate the mental health issues faced by the individuals (Buchanan & Wootton,
2017). In particular, a 2005 article in Harvard Mental Health Letter clearly indicates the fact that

3SEDATIVE MEDICATIONS AND BEHAVIOR CONTROL
the long-term usage of the different antipsychotics can lead to serious side-effects like tardive
dyskinesia or Parkinsonism, suicidal tendencies on account of the frequent mood swings,
emotional numbness and others which rather than resolving the mental health issues faced by the
patients can aggravate the same (Lysaker & Klion, 2017). This in turn is an important reason
why the healthcare professionals and also Registered Nurses (RN) should not indulge in the
extensive usage of the psychotropic medications to control behaviors and manage symptoms for
people who experience mental illness.
As discussed by Cummings and Wiggins (2016), the healthcare professionals and also the
registered nurses are required to take into account the concepts of patient safety, ethics, morals,
dignity, respect and others while complying with the different mental healthcare policies as well
as legislations for the purpose of offering the required healthcare treatment services to the
patients. Adding to this, Finkelhor and Johnson (2017) have noted that in the particular context
of the mental health patients it is often seen that they reach the condition wherein they can not
only inflict a substantial amount of harm to themselves but also to the people around them as
well. More importantly, it had also been seen that there are various mental health patients who
often become aggressive and thereby pose a substantial threat to themselves and also to the
healthcare professionals and thus it becomes important for the healthcare professionals to take
the help of sedative medicines and other similar measures for controlling their behavior
(Schützwohl et al., 2016). It is in the light of these aspects that the Mental Health Act 2015
(ACT) of the Australian government clearly indicates that the healthcare professionals have the
option to take the help of restrictive measures for a period of atleast three months in the
particular context of the patients who belong to this category (Health.act.gov.au, 2020).