Science Vs Antidepressants
Oct 28, 2016
The podcast explores the controversy surrounding the effectiveness of antidepressants, with researchers and medical professionals discussing the power of placebo in these drugs. It also touches on the challenges of measuring the effectiveness of antidepressants, the debate between statistical and clinical significance, and the limited research on long-term effects.
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Placebo and Hopelessness
- Irving Kirsch believes depression's inherent hopelessness makes it susceptible to a strong placebo effect.
- A new drug trial offers hope, potentially contributing to improvement regardless of the drug's actual chemical effect.
Drug vs Placebo Impact
- Irving Kirsch's study revealed a smaller-than-expected difference between antidepressant and placebo responses.
- This suggests that the drugs' impact may be less significant than previously believed.
Kirsch's Changed Practice
- Irving Kirsch stopped prescribing antidepressants after seeing the data.
- He now believes their effectiveness is largely due to the placebo effect.