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Anti-depressants: Major study finds they work
Scientists say they have settled one of medicine's biggest debates after a huge study found that anti-depressants work. The study, which analysed data from 522 trials involving 116,477 people, found 21 common anti-depressants were all more effective at reducing symptoms of acute depression than dummy pills. But it also showed big differences in how effective each drug is.
The authors of the report, published in the Lancet [open, DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32802-7] [DX], said it showed many more people could benefit from the drugs. There were 64.7 million prescriptions for the drugs in England in 2016 - more than double the 31 million in 2006 - but there has been a debate about how effective they are, with some trial[s] suggesting they are no better than placebos. The Royal College of Psychiatrists said the study "finally puts to bed the controversy on anti-depressants".
The so-called meta-analysis, which involved unpublished data in addition to the information from the 522 clinical trials involving the short-term treatment of acute depression in adults, found the medications were all more effective than placebos. However, the study found they ranged from being a third more effective than a placebo to more than twice as effective.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 23 2018, @06:18AM (4 children)
If accurate, I would see that as pretty much nailing the coffin shut on anti-depressants. While their effectiveness may be up for debate, the very real side effects are not. People are taking on all sorts of critical side effects, which include things like increased suicide rates in younger individuals on top of interacting with damn near every other drug in heinous ways, for something that's UP TO twice as effective as a sugar pill. I can't be the only one seeing how absurdly idiotic that trade is!
(Score: 2) by Snotnose on Friday February 23 2018, @02:34PM (3 children)
Came here to say this. If it's twice as effective as a placebo, and a placebo has no effect, then isn't 2 * 0 = 0? Especially when the side effects are very real, there's a good reason why lots of people with the pills don't take them.
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 2) by JNCF on Friday February 23 2018, @08:11PM (2 children)
But a placebo does have an effect, otherwise there would be no reason to use them as benchmarks. Even when people know they're placebos, they have an effect. It's ridiculous that we don't prescribe them for all sorts of ailments, depression included. Note that I've been pointing out negative side-effects of SSRIs in other comments, I'm not disagreeing on that point.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 23 2018, @09:55PM (1 child)
the mental act of receiving treatment is healing unto itself, that where placebo derive their power
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 23 2018, @10:04PM
I forgot to ask you to tried that experience: next time you have some piqns, ask someone you trust to give 3 pills, a mix of advil and Tylenol of his choices. next time you have a similar pain do the same thing yourself. chances are that the pills from the trusted person are more effective than the one you choose yourself.