12May
A review suggests that there is little difference between placebo and antidepressants in treating depression in primary care.
Antidepressants are being prescribed increasingly for the treatment of depression. But how effective are they? A report from the University of Dundee, Scotland, now looks at the evidence on how antidepressants compare with placebo in a primary care setting.
After six to eight weeks of treatment, 56 per cent of those on a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) were improved, as were 60 per cent on a tricylic, an older type of antidepressant. But a comparison showed that 43 per cent and 47 per cent of those on placebo also improved (that is, compared to SSRIs and tricyclics respectively). Maybe this small difference between drug and placebo arises because depression may resolve itself spontaneously without treatment. The study leads to questions as to whether the spending on antidepressants in primary care is really justified for such a small relative benefit.
