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Readers of this blog will be familiar with the skeptical stance that holds the efficacy of psychiatric interventions—medication, psychotherapy, magnetic stimulation, and the rest—to be largely unproven. Readers may be less aware of doubts about placebos. Read More
A problem easily addressed
Basic research methods address this question with ridiculous simplicity. Randomized control trial with three conditions:
-Treatment condition
-Placebo condition
-No intervention condition
I'm sure you know that there's plenty of psychotherapy research (and "active" placebo trials of anti-depressants that mimic anti-depressant side effects) that illustrate that placebo effects well exceed those of regression towards the mean (which is statistically adjusted in reliable change index calculation) and natural course of illness (which, in mental health, tends to get worse, not better).
Nicely Stated
Jared,
Thank you for the obvious and sublime empirical resolution.
It's a shame that others with so much influence haven't the same kind of basic experimental insight.
placebo
Sure, there are statistical methods to separate the different factors (treatment, placebo, no treatment), but I think the point is that these aren't being used because it is assumed that there is a substantial placebo effect. It looks to me like "placebo" has become a synonym for "control". But it's not the same thing.
U.F.O.
This could be compared to a U.F.O. sighting. It's something but what? I'm putting all my money on charm. Sure they could be episodic and be put back into regular depression but it's foolish to call this improvement. If elderly, too much attention could kill them (please see AGAINST DEPRESSION). " It's a judgement call" as the great one once said,and not just anyone is qualified I say. Thanks for the report. Sincerely,David
Funny
''Tricked out'' made me laugh. Don't let your kids hear you talking that way-Ha! Enjoy the day- David
thank you
Thanks, Dr. Kramer, for a spot of sanity on the PT blog roll. Imagine, a blogger actually able to parse studies carefully instead of going for the easy answers. What a relief. I was starting to get really depressed......
Gina Pera, author
Is It You, Me, or Adult A.D.D.?
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