Study seeks to end antidepressant debate: The drugs do work

[Jim Allen]

Not HIV related but I thought it was still worth a mention.

This study does not call for an end of complementary treatment or therapy but to me at least does show how effective antidepressants are for people who actually are depressed and that they can work as part of treatment.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-antidepressants/study-seeks-to-end-antidepressant-debate-the-drugs-do-work-idUSKCN1G52XX

LONDON (Reuters) - A vast research study that sought to settle a long-standing debate about whether or not anti-depressant drugs really work has found they are indeed effective in relieving acute depression in adults.

The international study - a meta-analysis pooling results of 522 trials covering 21 commonly-used antidepressants and almost 120,000 patients - uncovered a range of outcomes, with some drugs proving more effective than others and some having fewer side effects.

But all 21 drugs - including both off-patent generic and newer, patented drugs - were more effective than placebos, or dummy pills, the results showed.

“Antidepressants are routinely used worldwide yet there remains considerable debate about their effectiveness and tolerability,” said John Ioannidis of Stanford University in the United States, who worked on a team of researchers led by Andrea Cipriani of Britain’s Oxford University.

Cipriani said these findings now offered “the best available evidence to inform and guide doctors and patients” and should reassure people with depression that drugs can help.

“Antidepressants can be an effective tool to treat major depression, but this does not necessarily mean antidepressants should always be the first line of treatment,” he told a briefing in London.

I've brought it up before that we all do need to take care our mental health as much if not with more care at times than our physical health. Depression is serious and can also cause physical complains!

Common but not exhaustive Aches and pain, chronic joint pain, limb pain, back pain, gastrointestinal problems, tiredness, sleep disturbances, psychomotor activity changes, and appetite changes

https://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=67682.0