Antidepressants Debate Drags On

This week, the British Medical Journal published an new appraisal of antidepressant studies, saying that antidepressants don't really provide any benefit, after all. Studies range from saying antidepressant medications work on 80% of people down to 30%, which is about the same as placebos.

Currently, medical malpractice law forces doctors to prescribe antidepressants. This standard of practice might change if U.S. studies showed that antidepressants were really no better than placebos. Therefore, I wouldn't expect to see many studies saying that.

Unfortunately, the ongoing debate about antidepressants simply reflects the academic and ideological struggles within the professional psychological and psychiatric communities...

More about the antidepressant debate...

FDA Warns Again About Anti-Depressants and Suicide

On July 2d, 2005, the Food and Drug Administration issued a second major public warning about suicide related to anti-depressant use. This time, instead of focusing on children, the warning emphasized that adults might be at risk.

The FDA says that adults who use antidepressants should be closely monitored for warning signs of suicide, especially when they first start medication or when changing dosage.

Read FDA Suicide Anti-Depressant Warning.