Systemic review of antidepressants vs placebo commentary

michael_b

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4172306/pdf/zfp_222_3_128.pdf

The background on this story is a community of science people found a bunch of unpublished studies that, when weighed with the studies which supported antidepressant approval, showed they were no more effective than placebo in mild-moderate cases.

Except unlike placebo, antidepressants express a wider range of severe side effects, like worsening depression and suicide.

Isn't this a scandal? How do psychiatrists still prescribe these en masse?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4172306/pdf/zfp_222_3_128.pdf

Except unlike placebo, antidepressants express a wider range of severe side effects, like worsening depression and suicide.

Isn't this a scandal? How do psychiatrists still prescribe these en masse?

I would recommend a SSC post. You might also want to look at CrazyMeds.

Upvote for interesting and relevant links, although this part made me want to shout at my screen.

(9). Therefore, we should give up on medication and use psychotherapy instead Makes sense right up until you run placebo-controlled trials of psychotherapy ... Another study by the same team finds psychotherapy has an effect size of 0.22 compared to antidepressants’ 0.3-0.5

Even if this is true I don't agree with the cost-benefit analysis. Psychotherapy costs time and money but probably won't cause weight gain, sexual dysfunction and crippling withdrawal if you miss a dose or need to cycle off of them.

EDIT: I guess he says as much in a different article. Hmph.