Amid rising concerns about benzodiazepines, some patients who try to quit are suffering extreme anxiety, memory loss and intense physical pain.
A Wall Street Journal investigation argues that the U.S. has developed a “pill-first” approach to treating mental health and pain, driven by doctors, drugmakers, insurers, telehealth firms, and weak safeguards. Drawing on extensive data analysis, research, and hundreds of interviews, the series exposes systemic overprescribing, limited evidence of long-term effectiveness, and widespread patient harm. It also reveals how social media and mail-order pharmacies contributed to rising medication use, including among young women and seniors.
Judges’ comments:
The scope, accessibility, and originality of this package made it a winner. Stellar sourcing, reporting, database analysis and writing elevated it in a very competitive field. Each individual article tackled a different aspect of the broader subject and contributed to readers’ understanding of both the specific issue and the bigger picture. There was solid “news you can use” here as well as context and background. Good anecdotal sources made complex medical concepts relatable to readers and offered directions for future growth.