Pharma Backs Many Mental Health Websites for Patients

FEATURED SEARCH TERM:   Adult Attention Deficit Disorder With Hyperactivity



Researchers in New Zealand are documenting how big pharma is reaching Web-savvy consumers. More than one-third of websites about attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADHD) are funded by the pharmaceutical industry, according to their analysis of the top 60 websites on Google and Yahoo!. Not surprisingly, drug-company funded websites are significantly more likely to recommend medication than psychosocial treatments, despite evidence that favors a multimodal approach to ADHD treatment.


RESULT: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, drug companies and the internet
Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry | Feb 13, 2012 (Free abstract. Full text $25)



An earlier study by the same New Zealand researchers highlighted pharmaceutical companies’ efforts to influence public opinion about PTSD via the Internet. An investigation of the top 54 websites about posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on Google and Yahoo! Found that more than 40% received drug company funding. Again, drug-company sponsored websites emphasized medication.


RESULT: Posttraumatic stress disorder, drug companies, and the Internet
Journal of Trauma & Dissociation (PubMed) | Jan 1, 2009 (Free abstract. Full text $36)