Three out of four couldn't tell placebo from antidepressant

[Guest guest]

http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2011/apr/09/evi-shaw-three-out-of-four-couldnt-tell-placebo/

EVI SHAW: Three out of

four couldn't tell placebo from antidepressant

By Evi

Shaw

San Angelo Standard Times

Posted

April 9, 2011 at 10:46 a.m.

SAN ANGELO, Texas — Reading an

article in the April 5 Standard-Times which said German doctors

are being advised to give out more placebos prompted me to write

about a study concerning antidepressants and the placebo effect

that has been lying around on a corner of my desk for some time.

It is widely known that placebos are like sugar pills., which

can serve to raise hope and expectations in patients. They do

not change anything but the expectation that they will can bring

relief for medical and psychological/psychiatric problems.

Research about this matter has been going on for some time, and

researchers discovered that antidepressants are not all that

helpful.

Clinical psychologist Irving Kirsch, former professor of

psychology at the University of Connecticut and now professor of

psychology at the University of Hull, U.K., did a meta-analysis

which investigated data found in a large number of studies: 38

published clinical trials involving more than 3,000 depressed

patients were analyzed. Surprisingly, it was revealed that 75

percent of the antidepressant effect also was found in placebos.

Antidepressants only showed a small gain over placebos.

Given that antidepressants have side effects, research subjects

probably figured out that from the side effects they got the

real thing and not a placebo. This knowledge could be

responsible for the small advantage of drug over placebo.

His study was quite controversial because he and his colleagues

questioned the FDA's approval of antidepressants., They found

out through the Freedom of Information Act that research data

sent to the FDA by pharmaceutical companies showed even smaller

differences between drugs and placebo, They also found out that

the FDA requires only two trials with positive results, without

demanding results of other trials that have failed, which Kirsch

calls "cherry-picking."

So, what does work? Generally, it is believed that

psychotherapy, social change and exercise can work. Kirsch

confronts the myth that depression is a brain disease and

therefore medication needs to restore chemical imbalance of the

brain. He asserts there is no research supporting the chemical

imbalance hypothesis. His excellent book is referenced below.

I see it in my private practice that patients on

antidepressants are still depressed and I see it at Rivercrest

Hospital and Behavioral Health Hospital as well. It is

easy to take out the prescription pad "and give the patient

something" for his depression and it is easy for the patient to

pop the pill, because therapy is work and takes commitment to

produce desired change. However, there are cases in which a

severely depressed patient does not benefit from psychotherapy,

and antidepressants were indeed helpful, just as some patients

do not benefit from medication treatment but benefit from

psychotherapy.

Some medications for certain patients do more harm than

benefit, yet those medications in others have been known to save

a severely depressed patient from suicide. The standard of

practice in the medical community is still to prescribe

medication, even though there is evidence to the contrary.

It is obvious that the mental health community relies entirely

too much on psychiatric medications. It would be prudent for the

professionals and the general public to be more cautious and

become more educated about these matters. I recommend reading:

1. Kirsch, I. (2010) The Emperor's New Drugs

2. Drug-Induced Dementia By Grace , M.D.

3. The Myth of the Chemical Cure by Joanna Moncrieff

4. Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs,

and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America by

Whitaker

© 2011 San Angelo Standard Times. All

rights reserved.

[Guest guest]

http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2011/apr/09/evi-shaw-three-out-of-four-couldnt-tell-placebo/

EVI SHAW: Three out of

four couldn't tell placebo from antidepressant

By Evi

Shaw

San Angelo Standard Times

Posted

April 9, 2011 at 10:46 a.m.

SAN ANGELO, Texas — Reading an

article in the April 5 Standard-Times which said German doctors

are being advised to give out more placebos prompted me to write

about a study concerning antidepressants and the placebo effect

that has been lying around on a corner of my desk for some time.

It is widely known that placebos are like sugar pills., which

can serve to raise hope and expectations in patients. They do

not change anything but the expectation that they will can bring

relief for medical and psychological/psychiatric problems.

Research about this matter has been going on for some time, and

researchers discovered that antidepressants are not all that

helpful.

Clinical psychologist Irving Kirsch, former professor of

psychology at the University of Connecticut and now professor of

psychology at the University of Hull, U.K., did a meta-analysis

which investigated data found in a large number of studies: 38

published clinical trials involving more than 3,000 depressed

patients were analyzed. Surprisingly, it was revealed that 75

percent of the antidepressant effect also was found in placebos.

Antidepressants only showed a small gain over placebos.

Given that antidepressants have side effects, research subjects

probably figured out that from the side effects they got the

real thing and not a placebo. This knowledge could be

responsible for the small advantage of drug over placebo.

His study was quite controversial because he and his colleagues

questioned the FDA's approval of antidepressants., They found

out through the Freedom of Information Act that research data

sent to the FDA by pharmaceutical companies showed even smaller

differences between drugs and placebo, They also found out that

the FDA requires only two trials with positive results, without

demanding results of other trials that have failed, which Kirsch

calls "cherry-picking."

So, what does work? Generally, it is believed that

psychotherapy, social change and exercise can work. Kirsch

confronts the myth that depression is a brain disease and

therefore medication needs to restore chemical imbalance of the

brain. He asserts there is no research supporting the chemical

imbalance hypothesis. His excellent book is referenced below.

I see it in my private practice that patients on

antidepressants are still depressed and I see it at Rivercrest

Hospital and Behavioral Health Hospital as well. It is

easy to take out the prescription pad "and give the patient

something" for his depression and it is easy for the patient to

pop the pill, because therapy is work and takes commitment to

produce desired change. However, there are cases in which a

severely depressed patient does not benefit from psychotherapy,

and antidepressants were indeed helpful, just as some patients

do not benefit from medication treatment but benefit from

psychotherapy.

Some medications for certain patients do more harm than

benefit, yet those medications in others have been known to save

a severely depressed patient from suicide. The standard of

practice in the medical community is still to prescribe

medication, even though there is evidence to the contrary.

It is obvious that the mental health community relies entirely

too much on psychiatric medications. It would be prudent for the

professionals and the general public to be more cautious and

become more educated about these matters. I recommend reading:

1. Kirsch, I. (2010) The Emperor's New Drugs

2. Drug-Induced Dementia By Grace , M.D.

3. The Myth of the Chemical Cure by Joanna Moncrieff

4. Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs,

and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America by

Whitaker

© 2011 San Angelo Standard Times. All

rights reserved.

[Guest guest]

http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2011/apr/09/evi-shaw-three-out-of-four-couldnt-tell-placebo/

EVI SHAW: Three out of

four couldn't tell placebo from antidepressant

By Evi

Shaw

San Angelo Standard Times

Posted

April 9, 2011 at 10:46 a.m.

SAN ANGELO, Texas — Reading an

article in the April 5 Standard-Times which said German doctors

are being advised to give out more placebos prompted me to write

about a study concerning antidepressants and the placebo effect

that has been lying around on a corner of my desk for some time.

It is widely known that placebos are like sugar pills., which

can serve to raise hope and expectations in patients. They do

not change anything but the expectation that they will can bring

relief for medical and psychological/psychiatric problems.

Research about this matter has been going on for some time, and

researchers discovered that antidepressants are not all that

helpful.

Clinical psychologist Irving Kirsch, former professor of

psychology at the University of Connecticut and now professor of

psychology at the University of Hull, U.K., did a meta-analysis

which investigated data found in a large number of studies: 38

published clinical trials involving more than 3,000 depressed

patients were analyzed. Surprisingly, it was revealed that 75

percent of the antidepressant effect also was found in placebos.

Antidepressants only showed a small gain over placebos.

Given that antidepressants have side effects, research subjects

probably figured out that from the side effects they got the

real thing and not a placebo. This knowledge could be

responsible for the small advantage of drug over placebo.

His study was quite controversial because he and his colleagues

questioned the FDA's approval of antidepressants., They found

out through the Freedom of Information Act that research data

sent to the FDA by pharmaceutical companies showed even smaller

differences between drugs and placebo, They also found out that

the FDA requires only two trials with positive results, without

demanding results of other trials that have failed, which Kirsch

calls "cherry-picking."

So, what does work? Generally, it is believed that

psychotherapy, social change and exercise can work. Kirsch

confronts the myth that depression is a brain disease and

therefore medication needs to restore chemical imbalance of the

brain. He asserts there is no research supporting the chemical

imbalance hypothesis. His excellent book is referenced below.

I see it in my private practice that patients on

antidepressants are still depressed and I see it at Rivercrest

Hospital and Behavioral Health Hospital as well. It is

easy to take out the prescription pad "and give the patient

something" for his depression and it is easy for the patient to

pop the pill, because therapy is work and takes commitment to

produce desired change. However, there are cases in which a

severely depressed patient does not benefit from psychotherapy,

and antidepressants were indeed helpful, just as some patients

do not benefit from medication treatment but benefit from

psychotherapy.

Some medications for certain patients do more harm than

benefit, yet those medications in others have been known to save

a severely depressed patient from suicide. The standard of

practice in the medical community is still to prescribe

medication, even though there is evidence to the contrary.

It is obvious that the mental health community relies entirely

too much on psychiatric medications. It would be prudent for the

professionals and the general public to be more cautious and

become more educated about these matters. I recommend reading:

1. Kirsch, I. (2010) The Emperor's New Drugs

2. Drug-Induced Dementia By Grace , M.D.

3. The Myth of the Chemical Cure by Joanna Moncrieff

4. Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs,

and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America by

Whitaker

© 2011 San Angelo Standard Times. All

rights reserved.

[Guest guest]

http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2011/apr/09/evi-shaw-three-out-of-four-couldnt-tell-placebo/

EVI SHAW: Three out of

four couldn't tell placebo from antidepressant

By Evi

Shaw

San Angelo Standard Times

Posted

April 9, 2011 at 10:46 a.m.

SAN ANGELO, Texas — Reading an

article in the April 5 Standard-Times which said German doctors

are being advised to give out more placebos prompted me to write

about a study concerning antidepressants and the placebo effect

that has been lying around on a corner of my desk for some time.

It is widely known that placebos are like sugar pills., which

can serve to raise hope and expectations in patients. They do

not change anything but the expectation that they will can bring

relief for medical and psychological/psychiatric problems.

Research about this matter has been going on for some time, and

researchers discovered that antidepressants are not all that

helpful.

Clinical psychologist Irving Kirsch, former professor of

psychology at the University of Connecticut and now professor of

psychology at the University of Hull, U.K., did a meta-analysis

which investigated data found in a large number of studies: 38

published clinical trials involving more than 3,000 depressed

patients were analyzed. Surprisingly, it was revealed that 75

percent of the antidepressant effect also was found in placebos.

Antidepressants only showed a small gain over placebos.

Given that antidepressants have side effects, research subjects

probably figured out that from the side effects they got the

real thing and not a placebo. This knowledge could be

responsible for the small advantage of drug over placebo.

His study was quite controversial because he and his colleagues

questioned the FDA's approval of antidepressants., They found

out through the Freedom of Information Act that research data

sent to the FDA by pharmaceutical companies showed even smaller

differences between drugs and placebo, They also found out that

the FDA requires only two trials with positive results, without

demanding results of other trials that have failed, which Kirsch

calls "cherry-picking."

So, what does work? Generally, it is believed that

psychotherapy, social change and exercise can work. Kirsch

confronts the myth that depression is a brain disease and

therefore medication needs to restore chemical imbalance of the

brain. He asserts there is no research supporting the chemical

imbalance hypothesis. His excellent book is referenced below.

I see it in my private practice that patients on

antidepressants are still depressed and I see it at Rivercrest

Hospital and Behavioral Health Hospital as well. It is

easy to take out the prescription pad "and give the patient

something" for his depression and it is easy for the patient to

pop the pill, because therapy is work and takes commitment to

produce desired change. However, there are cases in which a

severely depressed patient does not benefit from psychotherapy,

and antidepressants were indeed helpful, just as some patients

do not benefit from medication treatment but benefit from

psychotherapy.

Some medications for certain patients do more harm than

benefit, yet those medications in others have been known to save

a severely depressed patient from suicide. The standard of

practice in the medical community is still to prescribe

medication, even though there is evidence to the contrary.

It is obvious that the mental health community relies entirely

too much on psychiatric medications. It would be prudent for the

professionals and the general public to be more cautious and

become more educated about these matters. I recommend reading:

1. Kirsch, I. (2010) The Emperor's New Drugs

2. Drug-Induced Dementia By Grace , M.D.

3. The Myth of the Chemical Cure by Joanna Moncrieff

4. Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs,

and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America by

Whitaker

© 2011 San Angelo Standard Times. All

rights reserved.