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- Page navigation anchor for Problem with Short Duration of StudiesProblem with Short Duration of StudiesShow More
This article was interesting in that it focussed on the treatment of depression in the primary care setting. However, most of the studies were only of 6-8 weeks duration. Most primary care physicians see their patients over a much longer time scale. And many patients who respond initially do not continue to respond after 24 or more weeks (which is why I have so many referrals).
Primary care physicians must be...
Competing Interests: None declared. - Page navigation anchor for Stop your Tunnel Vision and use common senseStop your Tunnel Vision and use common sense
Go to Mindfreedom.org and Alternativementalhealth.com (aka Safe Harbor) for a different view from patients and professionals. Take the challenge!
Stop poisoning the minds and bodies of your patients with toxic drugs, especially developing children. There are better ways. Also withdrawal from psychotropic drugs is very real. You are out of the loop.
Competing interests: None declared
Competing Interests: None declared. - Page navigation anchor for Different scales for figures accentuate SSRI benefitDifferent scales for figures accentuate SSRI benefit
I'm curious why you choose to use different scales for figure 2 and figure 3 and then again for figure 4 and figure 5. In both cases the scales chosen accentuate the superiority of SSRI's which makes me concerned about commercial bias.
John G. King, M.D., M.P.H. University of Vermont
Competing interests: None declared
Competing Interests: None declared. - Page navigation anchor for comments on Arroll et al.comments on Arroll et al.Show More
Arroll and colleagues provided a meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials of TCAs and SSRIs for depression, with a focus on studies carried out in the primary care setting. The paper focuses on “efficacy” studies and is useful in calling attention to the idea that antidepressants work in primary care; at the same time, I would like to raise several issues related to primary care and depression that were not addressed....
Competing Interests: None declared. - Page navigation anchor for Comment on article by Arroll et alComment on article by Arroll et alShow More
Arroll et al are to be congratulated for doing a Cochrane style review of the efficacy of antidepressants (TCAs or SSRIs) for depressed primary care patients. As the authors point out, there is evidence of qualitative differences between depressed patients in primary care and those seen in specialty settings, and one can not assume that the effects of recommended treatments will be the same. The authors' data synthesis...
Competing Interests: None declared. - Page navigation anchor for Efficacy of antidepressants in primary careEfficacy of antidepressants in primary careShow More
In recent months there have been many debates regarding the efficacy of antidepressants in adults. In England, for example, Moncrieff and Kirsch criticized how trial data were analyzed, suggesting that methodological artifacts may account for the small effect seen in studies comparing antidepressants with placebo (1). Basically three points are at issue:
(1) Transformation of continuous outcome data into catego...
Competing Interests: None declared.