Behavioral Health

Mental Illness or psychotherapeutic conditions are classified as abnormal thoughts, feelings, and behavior, for a determined amount of time, which causes distress or emotional/physical impairment. This includes a wide range of psychological or psychiatric disorders and often requires psychiatric intervention. Conditions can be caused by either a biological origin such as genetic, chemical, and anatomical; or a psychological origin such as trauma or conflict.

Extraordinary advances have been made in the treatment of mental illness. An understanding of what causes some mental health disorders has led to greater sophistication in tailoring treatment to the underlying basis of each disorder. As a result, many mental health disorders can now be treated nearly as successfully as physical disorders. Most treatment methods for mental health disorders can be categorized as either somatic or psychotherapeutic. Somatic treatments include drug therapy and electroconvulsive therapy. Psychotherapeutic treatments include individual, group, or family and marital psychotherapy; behavior therapy techniques (such as relaxation training or exposure therapy); and hypnotherapy. Most studies suggest that for major mental health disorders, a treatment approach involving both drugs and psychotherapy is more effective than either treatment method used alone.

The psychotherapeutic drug industry continues to struggle through a morass of issues that are directly or indirectly affecting competition. Some hurdles recently faced by competitors in this market include advertising restrictions, label changes, and some general negative views about mental illness treatments. However, there have been considerable strides in many areas of the market including advanced delivery techniques, increased education and awareness efforts, and improved effectiveness.