Mental Health America notifies the potential harm of the NEJM’s Selective Publication of Antidepressant Trials study that it may discourage people with depression from seeking appropriate care and evidence-based treatments that work for them. Mental Health America is one of America’s leading mental health advocacy groups.
“Selective Publication of Antidepressant Trials and Its Influence on Apparent Efficacy,” which appears in the New England Journal of Medicine NEJM, surveys the results of both published and unpublished antidepressant FDA studies.
“This is a very important paper, and we applaud the FDA for moving toward greater transparency,” said David Shern, Ph.D., president and CEO of Mental Health America. “It is critical, however, that people understand that antidepressants do work and continue to help millions of Americans recover from depression and other mental health conditions.”
“Historically, papers that get published have been those with positive results. This study highlights what is known as the “waste basket” problem in which studies with positive outcomes are more likely to be published than those with neutral or negative outcomes,” added Shern. “This study is a diligent follow-up detailing estimated effects and perhaps the oversimplification of the effects of antidepressants.”
The fact remains, antidepressants do work and help millions of Americans to recover.
Source: Mental Health America, USA