Antidepressants Quote by Marcia Angell
![“A review of seventy-four clinical trials of antidepressants, for example, found that thirty-seven of thirty-eight positive studies [that praised the drugs] were published. But of the thirty-six negative studies, thirty-three were either not published or published in a form that conveyed a positive…” quote by Marcia Angell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1cb/marcia-angell-19102_antidepressants_a-review-of-seventy-four-clinical-trials_2205018.jpg)
“A review of seventy-four clinical trials of antidepressants, for example, found that thirty-seven of thirty-eight positive studies [that praised the drugs] were published. But of the thirty-six negative studies, thirty-three were either not published or published in a form that conveyed a positive outcome.”
About This Quote
Source Journal Article: Review of 74 Antidepressant Trials, 2004
Positive results are heavily published while negative results are suppressed, biasing the scientific record.
In simple terms: Positive studies get published, negative ones hidden.
Key Takeaway
Beware publication bias in research.
Themes
research integrity
bias
medical science
Mood
skeptical
concerned
Type
analytical
critical
When to use this quote
- clinical decision making
- policy formulation
- patient counseling
Key Concepts
publication bias
evidence based medicine
pharmaceutical influence
Questions to Reflect On
- How does selective publishing affect treatment choices?
- What mechanisms can ensure balanced reporting?
A Different Perspective
Negative findings may still be reported in less visible venues.
![“When a drug comes out [that's broadly prescribed] there are going to start to be a lot of people on it [in a million person cohort] and you might get therefore an early signal of something unexpected that hadn't come through in the clinical trials. And I'm sure [drug companies] would love it if…” quote by Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dda/francis-collins-5281_able_when-a-drug-comes-out-that-s-broadly-pre_408526.jpg)
![“The use of psychoactive drugs - including both antidepressants and antipsychotics - has exploded...[yet] 'the tally of those who are disabled...increased nearly two and a half times.” quote by Marcia Angell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a78/marcia-angell-19102_antidepressants_the-use-of-psychoactive-drugs-including_1103729.jpg)
