Depressing news
| Posted by Chill on 04 Feb 2010 at 01:02 am |
Not surprised about this:
Studies show that anti-depressants are no more effective — and often worse — than placebos.
The thing is, the placebo effect is real, and does improve people’s lives. So in an ideal world, the patients would get prescribed sugar pills, unbeknownst to them, while not having to endure the side effects of some fairly harmful substances.
I think the article said that the side effects make antidepressants slightly more effective than placebos, because people experience them, and it makes them think it’s real medicine, and therefore will work.
Weirdly enough, that’s the only article I’ve read in dead-tree newsweek in a year. Happened to catch my eye while I was scrounging for new yorkers in the pubic liberry yesterday.