Mad in America
JANUARY 25, 2024
The study, titled “Estimating the smallest worthwhile difference of antidepressants: a cross-sectional survey,” delves into the challenging decisions faced by individuals considering SSRI and SNRI antidepressants, which are common treatments for depression. Only a third of patients are satisfied with these medications.
Mad in America
FEBRUARY 10, 2024
Any wonder, when for decades, people have been deluged with information suggesting that depression is caused by a “chemical imbalance” in the brain—specifically, low levels of serotonin. The World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on depression treatment are clear: “Antidepressant medications are not needed for mild depression.”
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Mad in America
DECEMBER 25, 2023
In a study of fluoxetine (Prozac) for adolescents, researchers found that the placebo effect predicted good outcomes, but the actual drug treatment did not. After accounting for “treatment guess” (those who figured out that they were receiving an intervention rather than placebo), the drug was not effective in depression treatment.
Mad in America
APRIL 27, 2024
And then it informed its readers the following: “The largest study of multiple antidepressants—nicknamed the STAR*D trial—found that half of the participants had improved after using either the first or second medication that they tried, and nearly 70 percent of people had become symptom-free by the fourth antidepressant.”
Mad in America
DECEMBER 31, 2024
The findings reinforce the view that addressing the high prevalence rates of depression via symptom recognition and treatment with antidepressants is unlikely to be effective. The absolute long-term efficacy of antidepressants in real-world settings is disappointingly modest.
Mad in America
JANUARY 4, 2025
American psychiatry has weathered the crisis; it will not have to confront a public stunned by news of how the oft-cited 67% cumulative remission rate, in the largest and longest study ever done to evaluate depression treatment,” was born of scientific misconduct. This strategy immediately paid dividends for Eli Lilly.
Mad in America
JANUARY 3, 2024
The NIMH ran advertisements in the media, and Eli Lilly helped pay for the printing and distribution of 8 million DART brochures titled “Depression: What You Need to Know.” This pamphlet informed readers of the particular merits of “serotonergic” drugs for the disease. “By Rush was named the lead investigator of the $35 million effort.
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