National

Many Psychiatrists Self-Prescribe, Study Says

By Alix Spiegel

Published December 24, 2007 at 1:00 PM PST

This story was published more than 16 years ago.

A new study from a professor at the University of Michigan looks at how frequently psychiatrists prescribe medication for themselves. The study finds that many are writing their own prescriptions to avoid the stigma associated with being a doctor with a mental health problem.

National

Alix Spiegel

Alix Spiegel has worked on NPR's Science Desk for 10 years covering psychology and human behavior, and has reported on everything from what it's like to kill another person, to the psychology behind our use of function words like "and", "I", and "so." She began her career in 1995 as one of the founding producers of the public radio program This American Life. While there, Spiegel produced her first psychology story, which ultimately led to her focus on human behavior. It was a piece called 81 Words, and it examined the history behind the removal of homosexuality from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.