Antidepressants are over-prescribed, but genuinely help some patients
In around 15% of cases, they offer large benefits
Around 10% of Western adults take antidepressants, making them one of the world’s most popular types of drugs. On the surface, their prevalence seems hard to reconcile with the underwhelming evidence of their utility. For most people, they are only slightly more effective than a placebo, and can often induce dependency or inflict unwelcome side-effects.
This article appeared in the Graphic detail section of the print edition under the headline “Needles in haystacks”
Chart sources: “Response to acute monotherapy for major depressive disorder in randomised, placebo controlled trials submitted to the US FDA: individual participant data analysis”, by M.B. Stone et al., BMJ, 2022; “Selective publication of antidepressant trials and its influence on apparent efficacy: updated comparisons and meta-analyses of newer versus older trials”, by E.H. Turner et al., PLOS Medicine, 2022
From the January 14th 2023 edition
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