The study of data on the admission of a group of patients with antidepressants over the past thirty years has shown that in patients with mild and moderate forms of depression, the effect of taking these medications may be minimal or nonexistent. In this case, the use of antidepressants for patients with severe depression was significant, say US researchers from the University of Pennsylvania.

Scientists have found that most patients who are prescribed antidepressants, such treatment does not bring significant benefits. Specialists led by psychologists collected data on studies in which the effectiveness of various food additives and medications intended for the treatment of depression was studied in comparison with the effect obtained with taking placebo. In the studies, adult patients of the outpatient form of treatment, whose duration was at least six weeks. The researchers performed a quantitative assessment of the severity of depression before and after treatment using the standard Hamilton scale.

The experts found that the difference between the efficacy of medications and placebo was higher the more severe the patients suffered.

This suggests that doctors who prescribe treatment for patients with mild depression or moderate depression should take into account the fact that the effectiveness of pharmaceuticals at these stages of depression is not proven, so it makes sense to offer alternative forms of treatment - psychotherapy, self-therapy or physical exercises.

Antidepressants are the best that is created against the severe forms of depression to date. Nevertheless, there is as yet no evidence that these drugs can have any noticeable therapeutic effect in less severe cases of depression, experts say.

Medicinform. Net.

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