You know those anti-depression drugs like Zoloft and Prozac? A new study finds that they “work no better than a placebo for the majority of patients with mild or even severe depression,” according to an article published today in The Times (London):
The study, by Irving Kirsch, from the Department of Psychology at the University of Hull, is the first to examine both published and unpublished evidence of the effectiveness of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which account for 16 million NHS prescriptions a year. It suggests that the effectiveness of the drugs may have been exaggerated in the past by drugs companies cherry-picking the best results for publication.
The study was published by the Public Library of Science (PLoS) and is titled “Initial Severity and Antidepressant Benefits: A Meta-Analysis of Data Submitted to the Food and Drug Administration.” Their published conclusion is, “Drug–placebo differences in antidepressant efficacy increase as a function of baseline severity, but are relatively small even for severely depressed patients. The relationship between initial severity and antidepressant efficacy is attributable to decreased responsiveness to placebo among very severely depressed patients, rather than to increased responsiveness to medication.”
Why does this matter? Because there are serious side effects to SSRIs, not the least of which can be suicidal or homicidal thoughts. Karen McCarron had just come off anti-depressants when she killed her autistic daughter, and NIU shooter Steve Kazmierczak had stopped taking Prozac a couple weeks before he killed five people and himself. There are lots of other examples.
The argument has been that the benefits of SSRIs outweigh the risks. But this study calls into question the efficacy of these anti-depression drugs, which undermines that argument. If SSRIs are no better than a placebo for most patients, then, as the researchers concluded, “there is little reason to prescribe new-generation antidepressant medications to any but the most severely depressed patients unless alternative treatments have been ineffective.”
Having played Mr. Hyde with depression for 25 years, I can tell you now, as a much better Jekyll, that anti-depressants saved my life, my family and my soul. Until you’ve sat in the sunshine on a wonderfully balmy summer day and wondered if you can use the pistol in your hand to destroy yourself, depression is just a word. Not to me.
CJ, are you drinking the Scientology water or what here?
Eyebrows — Nope. Just citing a peer-reviewed, scientifically-valid study. Have you read it?
Toby — I’m sorry to hear about your fight with depression, and I’m glad that anti-depressant drugs were of help to you.
Eyebrows, do you think so lowly of PLoS that you equate one their published articles as roughly equal in validity to the worst sci-fi dreck-cum-theology ever written? Say it ain’t so.
So the fact that many people have had suicidal and/or homicidal thoughts and/or actions after coming off antidepressants is an argument against their use?
Anyone else stumped by that logic?
I had not heard of the Public Library of Science and wondered if it was some organization supported by the Church of Scientology. This is what I found on Wikipedia:
So, it appears this organization is NOT affiliated with the CoS. It’s studies are peer reviewed. I’m a big troubled by the business model, as it resembles vanity publication. I like the idea of background research and data being freely available at the time of publication, it it being published under a Creative Commons license.
As to the accuracy of the study, I cannot judge. I would strongly suggest that people do NOT read this and go off their meds.
This is ONE study.