The big bulk of the response to antidepressants is the placebo response. — Irving Kirsch Copy Share Image
Psychotherapy works, and some types of therapy have been shown to be much more effective than antidepressants over the long run. — Irving Kirsch Copy Share Image
Antidepressants can have troubling side effects and are addictive for some people. — Irving Kirsch Copy Share Image
Depression comes back over time in about 90 percent of people on antidepressants. Studies show that relapses are far less common when… — Irving Kirsch Copy Share Image
“Psychotherapy works for the treatment of depression, and the benefits are substantial. In head-to-head comparisons, in which the short-term effects of psychotherapy… — Irving Kirsch Copy Share Image
“Our analyses of the FDA data showed relatively little difference between the effects of antidepressants and the effects of placebos. Indeed, the… — Irving Kirsch Copy Share Image
“According to an article in the Washington Post: The Food and Drug Administration has repeatedly urged antidepressant manufacturers not to disclose to… — Irving Kirsch Copy Share Image
“For people who are depressed, and especially for those who do not receive enough benefit from medication of for whom the side… — Irving Kirsch Copy Share Image
“Depression, we are told over and over again, is a brain disease, a chemical imbalance that can be adjusted by antidepressant medication.… — Irving Kirsch Copy Share Image
“In 2004, the FDA urged drug companies to adopt a 'Don't ask, don't tell' policy with respect to their clinical-trial data showing… — Irving Kirsch Copy Share Image
“Physicians do not systematically prescribe placebos to their patients. Hence they have no way of comparing the effects of the drugs they… — Irving Kirsch Copy Share Image
Depression is not caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, and it is not cured by medication. Depression may not even be an… — Irving Kirsch Copy Share Image
To someone who is not currently on anti-depressants, I would suggest trying other treatments first - for example, psychotherapy. — Irving Kirsch Copy Share Image
“Many of the benefits of CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) can be obtained without going into therapy. There are a number of self-help books, CDs… — Irving Kirsch Copy Share Image
Nocebos often cause a physical effect, but it's not a physically produced effect. What's the cause? In many cases, it's an unanswered question. — Irving Kirsch Copy Share Image
“The results of decades of neurotransmitter-depletion studies point to one inescapable conclusion: low levels or serotonin, norepinephrine or dopamine do not cause depression. here… — Irving Kirsch Copy Share Image
Perhaps 10 percent of patients who are prescribed antidepressants are really benefiting from the drugs' active ingredients. — Irving Kirsch Copy Share Image
Patients who trust their doctors and have a psychological expectation of getting better could trigger a reaction in their body. — Irving Kirsch Copy Share Image
Anything that instills a sense of hope will at least temporarily help treat depression. — Irving Kirsch Copy Share Image
“Our analyses of the FDA data showed relatively little difference between the effects of antidepressants and the effects of placebos. Indeed, the effects were… — Irving Kirsch Copy Share Image
Perhaps anti-depressants should be best reserved for the very extreme cases and, more importantly, for those who do not respond to alternative forms of… — Irving Kirsch Copy Share Image
If doctors just spent more time with their patients so they felt more reassured, that might help. — Irving Kirsch Copy Share Image
There seems little reason to prescribe anti-depressant medication to any but the most severely depressed patients. — Irving Kirsch Copy Share Image
