Are Antidepressants Merely Providing a Placebo Effect?/IN REPLY

In 2007, antidepressants ranked as the top class of medications dispensed in the United States, with an estimated 232.7 million antidepressant prescriptions and an estimated sale of $11.9 billion.1 However, a recent meta-analysis suggests that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) may not be more effective than placebo.2 Selective publication of positive studies appears to have greatly overstated the benefits of these drugs.3 Although we have regularly witnessed apparent benefits of SSRIs and SNRIs in patients with depression, family physicians should also recognize the limitations of data regarding these drugs and call for further research and discussion.