What Does the Research Say About Drugs?

Drug companies spend billions of dollars each year marketing their drugs to create the impression they are the best treatment for depression. Few doctors have the time to study the available research themselves and often rely on representatives from drug companies to tell them about what the research says. As you might imagine, those representatives are paid to make their drugs look better than they really are.

Click here for a video of a former drug rep discussing how she was trained to mislead doctors.

There is nothing wrong with your brain

Wyatt, W. J. & Midkiff, D. (2006). Biological psychiatry: A practice in search of a science, Behavior and Social Issues, 15, 132-151.

This article contrasts the weak evidence for biological models of mental illness with its growing acceptance in our culture. Finds that there is little to no evidence from science that can explain why biological models are favored. Claims that this is due to an attempt on the part psychiatrists to protect their field from non-medically trained competitors as well as the pharmaceutical industry’s efforts to market psychiatric drugs.

So-called antidepressants do not beat placebos in trials

Moncrieff, J. & Kirsch, I. (2005). Efficacy of antidepressants in adults. British Medical Journal, 331, 155-157.

The authors summarize: 1) recent meta-analyses show that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have no clinically significant superiority over placebo; 2) claims that antidepressants are more effective in more severe conditions have little evidence to support them; 3) methodological artifacts may account for the very small (and clinically insignificant) statistical margin by which SSRI efficacy exceeds that of placebos; 4) antidepressants have not been convincingly shown to affect the long-term outcome of depression or suicide rates; 5) given the significant doubts about their benefits and concerns about their risks, current recommendations for prescribing antidepressants should be reconsidered.

Kirsch, I. Moore, T. Scoboria, A. Nicholls, S. (2002). The Emperor's New Drugs: An Analysis of Antidepressant Medication Data Submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Prevention and Treatment. Jul Vol 5(1) 23.

The authors find that studies by pharmaceutical companies do not show any benefits of SSRI medication over placebos. Instead, these companies do not publish studies in which they lose to placebos.

Antidepressants have dangerous side-effects

Breggin, P. (2003/2004). Suicidality, violence and mania caused by selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs): A review and analysis. International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine, 16, 31–49.

Reviews a wide range of research to show that antidepressant medication leads to an increase in mania, agitation, obsessive preoccupation, akathisia, suicide and other abnormal behaviors.

Whitaker, R. (2005). Anatomy of an epidemic: Psychiatric drugs and the astonishing rise of mental illness in America. Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry, 7, 23-35.

Reports the increase in mental health complaints over the past 50 years and reviews research that links this increase with the increase in psychiatric drugs.

Drug companies intentionally mislead doctors and the public about their drugs

Valenstein, E. (1998). Blaming the Brain: The Truth About Drugs and Mental Health. New York: Free Press.

Reviews the role of pharmaceutical companies in promoting the “chemical imbalance” or biological model of mental illness. Also reviews the vast influence that this industry holds of the mental health field, from funding research to pressuring journal editors to advertising and public relations through the media.

Lacasse JR, Leo J (2005). Serotonin and Depression: A Disconnect between the Advertisements and the Scientific Literature. PLoS Med 2(12): e392 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0020392

Reviews the commercial success of antidepressant medications, which are the best-selling prescription drugs on the market. Cites the connection between this success and the preponderance of direct-to-consumer advertising for the drugs. Shows the theory that SSRI’s are correcting a chemical imbalance forwarded by these advertisements to have no basis in science.

* The following memo was secured by the Freedom of Information Act.

This site is maintained by Tim Desmond, MFTI 51287
copyright © 2007 Tim Desmond, MA. Last updated 31Jul2008.
Depression Treatment Works displays no paid advertising.