Tom Cruise's Drug Comments Spark US Medical Debate  6/28/05

Tom Cruise's critical TV comments about psychiatric drugs have sparked a medical debate in America.

Professors, doctors and psychiatrists have appeared on the TV shows where Cruise made his remarks about anti-depressants.

Top US doctor Steven Sharfstein insists the movie star was wrong to make his comments.

He told breakfast show Today, "When he starts to play doctor he's being totally irresponsible. When you are severely depressed, medications are very important."

But Joseph Glenmullen, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard University, insists Cruise has made a few good points: "Psychiatric drugs can mask the real problem, psychiatric drugs are being over-prescribed. He's right when he actually says there are no proven biochemical imbalances."

The movie hunk stunned top American TV newsman Matt Lauer last week (ends24JUN05) when he attacked him on the Today show for suggesting Cruise was wrong to dismiss prescription antidepressants.