Burying the Lede: The Questionable Efficacy of Antidepressants in Abnormal Psychology Textbooks

Abstract

The present study examined the extent to which issues concerning antidepressant drug trials and the efficacy of antidepressants are covered in abnormal psychology textbooks. Exploring the intricacies of these matters in the classroom offers instructors an opportunity to develop critical thinking skills. The issues include a substantial placebo effect in randomized control trials (RCTs) for antidepressant drugs, publication bias or the selective publication of positive trials, a failure to account for the natural history and regression to the mean, and awareness among participants as to what condition they are assigned in an RCT. In a sample of abnormal psychology textbooks (N = 10), the placebo effect in antidepressant trials and meta-analyses indicating such were noted in 5 textbooks, yet no more than 3 addressed the other concerns. Suggestions for addressing these issues in textbooks and the classroom are discussed.