Are antidepressants spermicidal?
You might think so looking at newspaper reports of a study examining the effect of paroxetine on sperm quality. It’s well known that antidepressants, the SSRIs in particular, can have sexual side...
View ArticleSt John’s wort works for depression…in Germany
The benefits of St John’s wort (SJW) have been widely reported this week following the publication of this study. It’s not, as some articles suggest, a new trial but actually an update of a Cochrane...
View ArticleA Gorilla in the Mist
Trying to find evidence to guide practice in mental health can be perplexing at the best of times. Take antidepressants for example: seemingly prescribed by the bucketload (170 million prescriptions...
View ArticleA drug watchdog shows its fangs…at last
That drug companies play fast and loose with study data is hardly news. It’s a widely-acknowledged problem that has been highlighted particularly with antidepressant trials where the advantage over...
View ArticleThose unknown unknowns: the importance of publication bias
Can you believe what you read in a medical journal? Probably not, as many if not most research findings turn out to be false. Poor research design and underpowered studies are part of the problem but...
View ArticleFreakonomic Mental Health
More antidepressants please…and bump up the Ritalin too. That seems to be the suggestion from this study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research in the US, making a link between new drug...
View ArticleRight to a fair trial: St John’s wort
The updated NICE guideline for depression is just out. Here is what it has to say about St John’s wort: Although there is evidence that St John’s wort may be of benefit in mild or moderate depression,...
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