Unfortunately, information about the author is unknown to us. But you can add it. Read full biography of Irving Kirsch →
There are a variety of techniques to help people change the kind of thinking that leads them to become depressed. These techniques are called... →
Psychotherapy works, and some types of therapy have been shown to be much more effective than antidepressants over the long run.
Anything that instills a sense of hope will at least temporarily help treat depression.
I do a lot of research on the placebo effect, not just in depression but in irritable bowel syndrome, pain, arthritis of the knee, migraine, asthma.
The big bulk of the response to antidepressants is the placebo response.
Depression comes back over time in about 90 percent of people on antidepressants. Studies show that relapses are far less common when people are... →
There seem to be many causes of depression. One cause is profound loss, grief. Economic hardship we know is linked to depression. We don't have a... →
Antidepressants can have troubling side effects and are addictive for some people.
If doctors just spent more time with their patients so they felt more reassured, that might help.
Nocebos often cause a physical effect, but it's not a physically produced effect. What's the cause? In many cases, it's an unanswered... →
One problem I have with drug companies is that they don't make all their data public.
Patients who trust their doctors and have a psychological expectation of getting better could trigger a reaction in their body.
Perhaps 10 percent of patients who are prescribed antidepressants are really benefiting from the drugs' active ingredients.
Unfortunately, information about the author is unknown to us. But you can