Posted by Cam W. on February 19, 2001, at 10:14:14
In reply to Cam etc, Some interesting ??s raised in Active..., posted by dj on February 18, 2001, at 16:19:34
dj - Read the following article (available at your nearest medical library):
Parker G, et al. Assessing the comparative effectiveness of antidepressant therapies: a prosepective clinical practice study, J Clin. Psychiatry 2001 (Feb); 62(2): 117-125.
Yes, not all antidepressants will alleviate the "symptoms" of depression. This is because depression is a number of disorders (breakdowns of the body) that manifest in similar symptoms.
Besides, as I have said (several times) on this board, that antidepressants (in acute or reactive depressions) are a bandage. They "put the floor under you feet" so that you are able to deal with and come to terms with the problems that caused the depression in the first place.
Treating a disorder (any disorder) is not a passive activity on the part of the afflicted. To heal from or live with a disorder requires hard work on the part of the patient via compliance with drug regimens, lifestyle changes and a real desire to get better.
I am assuming that Dr.O'Connor charges for these lectures he gives, so his website is just a means of employment and revenue for him. If this is the case, I guess he'd have to make controversial statements in order for people to be interested in his topic. Perhaps he truly believes in his views, but this does not make them scientifically correct.
Two type of psychotherapy (cognitive-behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy) have shown to have efficacy in treating depression. Psychoanalysis, Dr.O'Connor's field of training, has not been shown to be effective. People may "want" psychotherapy, but many cannot afford it and many of those who can are not willing to do the homework required to make it effective. The effectiveness rate of psychotherapy is no greater than that of antidepressant medication (which themselves are not usually used properly). You say that psychotherapy has not been scientifically analyzed. There are hundreds, if not thousands. of article in the literature on psychotherapy. Also there are several scientific, peer-reviewed journals for the psychotherapy field.
There are problems inherent in the way clinical trials are done, but they are only a stepping stone to naturalistic studies and post-marketing surveillence. The methods of scientifically evaluating the effectiveness of a new chemical compound in a disease are improving, but the system we have now, is the best that there is.
poster:Cam W.
thread:4748
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20010209/msgs/4755.html