Are people so convinced by the positive effects of antidepressants that they will get better when given fake drugs? Researchers have been comparing the effects of antidepressants and placebo’s and the results are surprising.
A placebo is defined as “an innocuous or inert medication”. Placebos are usually a sugar based pill given to control groups in experiments. Antidepressants are defined as “a medication that stimulates the mood of a depressed patient”, of which SSRI’s (Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors) are the most commonly prescribed.
In studies conducted between 1981 and 2000 it was found that on average 30% of people given placebos improved. The improvement rate is increasing about 7% every decade. The positive response to placebos is increasing more sharply in young people. 59% of children prescribed a placebo improved, while 69% of children given a real antidepressant showed improvement. Researchers believe this is due in part to the feelings of comfort children receive when getting help from qualified people who can ‘make them better’. The increased improvement in adults is due in part to greater public awareness of antidepressants.
While antidepressants do appear to work in many cases, the research puts pressure on drug companies who have to prove that their drugs are effective. In many cases the ‘placebo effect’ calls this into question.
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