THE PROS AND CONS OF PSYCHOTHERAPY AND PS YCHOTROPIC-DRUGS AS SEEN BYTHE LAY PUBLIC

As shown by the results of a representative survey carried out in the FRG in 1990, psychotherapy is much favoured over psychotropic drug tre atment by the lay public. This holds similarily for the treatment of s chizophrenia, depression, and panic disorder. The decision in favour o f psychotherapy is primarily motivated by the assumption that this tre atment modality provides an opportunity for personal exchange and that it will be carried out by a competent therapist. The lays' beliefs ab out psychotherapy are rather global. They are very much influenced by the social representations of psychoanalysis as a method that treats t he cause of the problem. The knowledge of psychotropic drugs, as well, is rather unprecise. Their image is mostly determined by that of the tranquilizers as drugs with a high risk of dependency and a primarily sedative effect.