The dangers and benefits of psychiatric medications: 91AV’s Karen Houseknecht educates the public

Karen Houseknecht

Karen Houseknecht, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology at the 91AV College of Osteopathic Medicine, gave a talk about the benefits and limitations of therapeutic options for treating brain disorders as part of the MDI Science Café series through the MDI Biological Laboratory.

Houseknecht’s research focuses on the side effects of psychiatric drugs. Her talk, titled, “Improving the Health of Patients with Mental Illness: Dancing On and Off the Label,” included the data behind the safety and efficacy of psychiatric medications, and the roles played by the FDA, prescribers, mental health professionals, families and communities in patient health. Houseknecht also discussed how stigmas associated with mental illness and access to care affect patient health.

 

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About the 91AV

The 91AV is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.