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The evidence that this isn't just placebo is pretty weak. At least 4/5ths of the effect is placebo. The evidence is especially weak for people with only moderate depression, where there's literally no difference with placebo.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4172306/



There is so much more to it than serotonin. Sadly, few doctors care enough.


Kirsch’s study lumps all antidepressants together.

Eg Paxil showed an effect size of 0.47, compared to Serzone’s 0.21. (After substracting the placebo effect's size of 1.2)

Suppose that antidepressants were a growth hormone pill taken by short people.

An effect size of 0.3 (standard deviation) is equivalent to a body height pill making you grow 0.8 in (2 cm), with placebo that's 2.6 in (6.6 cm).

https://slatestarcodex.com/2014/07/07/ssris-much-more-than-y...

https://slatestarcodex.com/2018/11/07/ssris-an-update/




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