Are antidepressants perceived to work better than they actually do?

William Atkins
Tuesday, 29 January 2008 18:38

Science - Health

The results from Turner team’s study (“Selective Publication of Antidepressant Trials and Its Influence on Apparent Efficacy”) were found online in the January 11, 2008 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (Volume 358: 252-260, January 17, 2008, Number 3). Turner’s team included Annette M. Matthews, Eflihia Linardatos, Robert A. Tell, and Robert, Rosenthal.

In their abstract, the researchers stated: “Evidence-based medicine is valuable to the extent that the evidence base is complete and unbiased. Selective publication of clinical trials — and the outcomes within those trials — can lead to unrealistic estimates of drug effectiveness and alter the apparent risk–benefit ratio.”

They concluded: “We cannot determine whether the bias observed resulted from a failure to submit manuscripts on the part of authors and sponsors, from decisions by journal editors and reviewers not to publish, or both. Selective reporting of clinical trial results may have adverse consequences for researchers, study participants, health care professionals, and patients.”

In the MedicalNewsToday.com article “Antidepressant Trials Are Selectively Reported, Study,” Turner stated: "Selective publication can lead doctors and patients to believe drugs are more effective than they really are, which can influence prescribing decisions."

Within the MNT.com article, it went on to say, “He was also careful to point out that just because there is over-reporting of positive results or there is a large number of negative studies, it does not mean that a particular drug is ineffective.”

Turner and his team are suggesting that the (perceived) selective reporting of the results of antidepressant drug within clinical drug trials could very well exaggerate their effectiveness.

They contend that these antidepressants are, indeed, more effective than placebos (sugar pills), but could give doctors and patients a false hope that they are going to be more effective than what will actually happen.