Depressing news about SSRIs

The antidepressant Prozac and related drugs are no better than placebo in treating all but the most severely depressed patients, according to a recent reassessment of clinical data.

Prozac is a SSRI, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Since its launch, more than 50 million people with depression have been treated with Prozac. Other SSRIs include fluoxetine (Prozac), venlafaxine, nefazodone, and paroxetine (Seroxat or Paxil).

A previous study had indicated that the benefits of antidepressants might be exaggerated. So, UK and US researchers led by Irving Kirsch of Hull University, UK, studied clinical trials of these drugs, using all data presented to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The researchers have concluded that SSRIs do not work for most patients, stating "compared with placebo, the new-generation antidepressants do not produce clinically significant improvements in depression in patients who initially have moderate or even very severe depression". link