The Questions Raised by a Son’s Death

APRIL 9, 2013

To the Editor:

Re “Diagnosis: Human,” by Ted Gup (Op-Ed, April 3), about the death of his son from a mix of alcohol and drugs:

Mr. Gup poignantly highlights the potentially fatal consequences of colluding with “a system that devalues talk therapy.” A study found that the percentage of visits to psychiatrists involving psychotherapy was less than 30 percent. Furthermore, insurance companies aggressively move to control costs by preferentially reimbursing and supporting drug therapy over the more time-consuming talk therapy.

These trends have not evolved overnight and will take time and effort to reverse. Medication, when correctly prescribed, can be lifesaving for many individuals. Psychotherapy, while more labor-intensive and costly in the short run, can also have profound and enduring therapeutic effects.

Clearly we are living at a time in which cost control is a major and legitimate consideration for the delivery of health care. Mr. Gup highlights the less conspicuous but heartbreaking cost of a system that devalues talk therapy.

LARRY S. SANDBERG
New York, April 3, 2013