Researchers Find a Bias Toward Upbeat Findings on Antidepressants
Basically, unfavourable studies are less likely to get published than favourable ones. When the authors of this study researched unpublished ones as well, they found that although antidepressants do work better than placebo, it's by a fairly small percentage, and nothing like the percentages reported by the drug companies.
Surprising? Not really.
I did have good results with Paxil, although my mood, I now realise, was flat. Now I'm technically not on antidepressants, but rather an anti-seizure medicine that acts as a mood stabiliser (Lamictal), and an anticonvulsant that helps with bipolar disorder (Abilify). I don't know if these classes of drugs were included in the study. I know they've certainly helped me. But this may explain why people often have to try several kinds of antidepressants before they find one that helps them.
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