Are Antidepressants Effective?
A recent analysis of studies of the effectiveness of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI’s) antidepressants found that only people with severe forms of depression show any benefit from the antidepressants studied.
It also claimed that, in people with milder depression, the response to the antidepressants was no better than a placebo (i.e. a dummy pill).
The drugs studied included Prozac (fluoxetine), Seroxat (marketed as Aropax or paroxetine in Australia), Effexor (venlafaxine) and Serzone (nefazodone, which is no longer prescribed in Australia).
The results were published in the US journal Public Library of Science Medicine in an article titled Initial Severity and Antidepressant Benefits: A Meta-Analysis of Data submitted to the Food and Drug Administration. The researchers analysed data from clinical trials which had been lodged with the US Food and Drug Administration, but also included data from trials of these medications which had not been previously published.
In a statement published by beyondblue: the Australian national depression initiative, Clinical Adviser to beyondblue, Assoc. Prof Michael Baigent, welcomed the report:
“This is important research because it includes the results of trials that previously haven’t been published. It overcomes any preference that exists to publish studies just with good outcomes. It shows that some of the newer antidepressants that we prescribe in Australia are not as effective for mild to moderately depressed people as they are for people with more severe depression.”
Assoc. Professor Baigent said that there are years of clinical experience and good evidence to show that antidepressants can be effective - and that psychological therapies are also effective in treating depression.
“If you are taking any of the antidepressants mentioned in the study, don’t be alarmed. If the medication is helping you, don’t worry because the research is not saying there is a problem with these antidepressants….so don’t stop taking them abruptly.
If however, you are not responding to the treatment in the way you’d hoped, go back and talk it over with your doctor - or get a second opinion from another doctor.
People don’t always respond to the first antidepressant prescribed - so you need to continue the treatment until you’re well,” he said.
Australia’s HealthInsite has a topic area on Depression, which includes links to information on the different types of depression and treatments.
See also;
 |
50 Ways to Fight Depression Without Drugs by M. Sara Rosenthal Amazon books; Read more about this title… |
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment