“If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it well enough.”
— Albert Einstein
Nearly two decades ago researchers suggested American TV viewers were exposed to as many as 16 hours of prescription drug commercials per year. They mentioned that 95% of all ads had high emotional appeal as a common denominator (Frosch et al., 2007).
Drug commercials and media coverage have increased exponentially worldwide, given the rising attention to psychological conditions (e.g., anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder), awareness of the efficacy of combined treatment (psychotherapy in tandem with pharmacology), and the growing number of online marketing platforms and apps for products and mental health service providers. In Singapore, the Health Sciences Authority (2025) strictly prohibits the advertising of prescription medication to the public, so drug commercials are not included in the country’s internal news programming. Pharmaceutical commercials in the United States are subject to advertising guidelines. Not allowed to indicate success percentages, ads appeal to viewers’ emotions. Due to advertising time constraints, pharmaceutical trial methodology and statistical significance of trial findings cannot be fully explained. Ads conclude with rapid-fire side effects explainers, while the primacy effect has already imprinted itself on the consumer: This drug will help me to feel and manage life better. In hopes for quick symptom relief, return to mental and emotional baseline or to end a progressive downward spiral, clients are receptive to heralds of good news including drug commercials, pamphlets, and social media posts.
Psychologists* (please refer to the footnote for the explanation of the term) are the main rendering service providers for clients seeking diagnostic evaluation and treatment for recent and long-standing mental disorders. After the initial referral to a psychiatrist for medication evaluation and following a medication adjustment period, psychologists are responsible for client education, and monitoring medication compliance and side effects, because clients see psychologists more regularly than psychiatrists. This makes precise and factual communication with clients about psychotropic medication not optional but mandatory.
In clinical practice, psychologists have an ethical responsibility to understand and communicate relevant data, research, and outcome studies in simple terms to clients and their loved ones. Psychologists do not act as medical doctors, but their education and training prepare them to work with clients who use psychotropic medications. Competence, integrity, beneficence and non-maleficence are fundamental ethical principles in mental healthcare (American Psychological Association, 2017; Singapore Psychological Society, 2019), whereby competence is the key word for psychologists’ providing services to clients who require medication monitoring.
Understanding and conveying drug research data in lay terms is key to managing clients’ expectations and fears in an ethical manner. When it comes to communicating about medication, this writer suggests being precise and setting expectations: Finding the right drug can be a bit like meeting the right partner. It may take some time.. This way, the client will not be surprised if the first choice does not work out and can be encouraged to develop patience and see treatment as a journey rather than a destination.
This practitioner has collaborated with a select group of psychiatrists for over a decade, sharing and referring clients. This long-term collaboration has strengthened the ability to discuss client symptoms, frequent check-ins, and mutual competence in reference to product limitations and potential side effects. Continued exchange among the treatment team has helped to avoid blind spots.
This article addressed some, but not all, of the key responsibilities of the treating psychologist when deciphering data storytelling in psychopharmacological product marketing.
The final segment, Data Served Right: Six Communication Principles for Psychologists to Become Clear, Comprehensive, and Compassionate Data Ambassadors for Their Clients, may help address the ongoing drug conversation throughout the therapeutic process. Remember the mnemonic RINKAS—the Malay word for simple in terms of concise communication.
RINKAS – SIMPLE
R –Respond promptly to clients who want to discuss the use of psychotropic medication.
Refer to a reputable psychiatrist – ideally you are working closely with them already. Manage expectations, as it may take time to find the right medication and adjust to it. A medication that works well for a friend or colleague may not have the same effect on the client. One size does not fit all.
I – Inquire about the client’s reasons for seeking medication now and where they got information about a particular drug. Illustrate the pros and cons of medication and how individual biology (e.g., genetics and metabolism) influences how a client responds to a drug. As a psychologist, stay informed about mental health drugs as required by your professional regulations.
N – Normalize the client’s desire for quick improvement; stress the importance of medication compliance and client participation in treatment. Name potential side effects the client may experience and explain how they can track a decrease in severity of symptoms over the next two months. Encourage keeping a notebook to track side effects, gradual changes, and symptom relief.
K – Keep the dialogue open:
With the client: It is the psychologist’s duty to check on medication at each session and note any updates or concerns.
With your colleagues: Maintain open communication with the prescribing psychiatrist.
Keep your credentials up to date by attending continuing education courses and lectures related to psychopharmacology and engage in mixed peer groups of psychiatrists and psychologists discussing psychopharmacology matters.
A – Assert medication compliance; explain that prescription medication needs to be taken on time and for a certain length of time. Being compliant is not easy. Changes must be discussed with the psychiatrist/treatment team. Explain neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections and explain why psychotropic medications need time to work and build functionality. Be specific and provide details about the prescribed medication as outlined in research and reports.
S – Support clients starting and continuing their medication journey. If they want to stop or change their medications, advise them to do so under guidance of their psychiatrist to avoid complications. Keep studying and getting supervision.
*Psychologist: In this article, “psychologist” refers to a mental health practitioner who earned a doctorate, completed coursework, internships, and postdoc requirements, and is licensed in the USA or a country with similar licensure requirements or registered in Singapore with the Singapore Psychological Society. They have completed doctoral coursework in psychopharmacology, physiological psychology, and diagnostics.
Reference List
American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. https://www.apa.org/ethics/code.
Frosch, D. L., Krueger, P. M., Hornik, R. C., Cronholm, P. F., & Barg, F. K. (2007). Creating demand for prescription drugs: a content analysis of television direct-to-consumer advertising. Annals of family medicine, 5(1), 6–13. https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.611
Health Sciences Authority. (2025, October 22). Advertisement and promotion of medical products. https://www.hsa.gov.sg/advertisements-and-promotions-of-medicinal-products
Singapore Psychological Society (2019). Code of professional ethics. https://singaporepsychologicalsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/SPS-Code-of-Ethics-1st-Edition.pdf
