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What´s the message in THIS pill bottle
Tuesday, 09 February 2010 16:00
Last Updated on Saturday, 19 February 2011 21:57
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Trampled underfoot in this battle is the confidence of thousands of consumers and patients who depend on anti-depressants to assist them in their recovery from a serious illness called depression. “ The recent controversy in the media regarding the utility of antidepressant medications has not engaged patient voices. As a result the Mood Disorders Society of Canada has commissioned its own research from the consumer/patient perspective. The first product of this research is the attached “op-ed” piece which we have asked national media to print in upcoming issues. The sad reality is that it is unlikely that our views will be given the wide circulation they deserve. Phil Upshall Executive Director Mood Disorders Society of Canada *Note from the Editor of MDA BC , We reprint the following piece in solidarity and support of full, complete and unbiased reporting on the risks and benefits of all medications that support and further the interests of those living with a mood disorder or other mental illness. What's the message in THIS pill bottle? With the recent barrage of news coverage of a British study on antidepressants' effectiveness, The Mood Disorders Society of Canada - an independent, national voice for consumers, patients, caregivers and families on mental health issues - has received hundreds of calls from Canadians who struggle with depression. They are expressing fear and concern about what the study and the attendant media attention means - and they are not alone. Study authors analyzed U.S. FDA data on well known antidepressants; Prozac, Effexor, Paxil and Serzone. The results were published online in the Public Library of Science Journal with these conclusions: “Drug-placebo differences in antidepressant efficacy increase as a function of baseline severity, but are relatively small even for severely depressed patients. The relationship between initial severity and antidepressant efficacy is attributable to decreased responsiveness to placebo among very severely depressed patients, rather than to increased responsiveness to medication.” Subsequent dialogue in the same Journal showed that a lot of “experts” couldn't make sense of the study either. Comments include phases such as “flimsy data” and “difficult to interpret,” concluding with, “Hopefully, some informed debate about drugs and depression in general can come out of all this coverage.” I see no indication that this will happen. According to a well-recognized Canadian expert, quoted in the Medical Post, “…doctors need to view the findings of the present study in PLoS Medicine with caution…” This raises the question of a researcher's responsibility in considering the impact of their work on patients? The Windsor Star reported what one, Alan Scoboria, had to say: “I woke up, saw it in the newspapers and thought this is going to be interesting. It's been a flattering first time where I've had this type of interest.” No concern for patient welfare there. So, where does all this leave those who suffer with depression? Most of our callers will never read the original study. Instead, they only see headlines where complicated ideas are reduced to one-liners. Which raises the second question of what is the media's responsibility in presenting the facts in a balanced, unbiased manner? Here are some example headlines from well-recognized Canadian newspapers: Happy pill study shows mind matters: University of Windsor team shows placebos work just as well In praise of placebos Faith in antidepressants: Alarming study questions benefits of antidepressants What seemed to catch everyone's attention was that the researchers used the American Freedom of Information Act to access drug company data, playing gotcha with big bad pharma - a modern day David slaying Goliath. Trampled underfoot in this battle is the confidence of thousands of consumers and patients who depend on anti-depressants to assist them in their recovery from a serious illness called depression. In Quick Facts, on our website (www.mooddisorderscanada.ca), we outline the reality of depression. Percentage of Canadians who will experience depression in their lifetime: 7.9 - 8.6% Percentage of Canadian at any one point in time who are depressed: 4 - 5% Age of onset for depression: Adolescence Here's the thing: Ninety percent of people who are depressed never seek treatment while eighty percent of those who do get help respond well. People with depression don't reach out for help because of stigma and shame. Our society perceives them as weak. “Get over it,” friends and family say. Employers are suspicious that they are faking it, if they take time off work. It takes real courage to ask for help and try one medication after another until you find one that works. With these news headlines in hand, those needing help are left with one lingering thought…”I have no one to turn to, and even if I did, nothing will help me anyways.” I've heard firsthand what the headlines have done. They've made people afraid to continue with medication that was working for them, afraid to trust their physician's advice, and afraid that they have been made to look like fools. The headlines also reinforce the false belief that seeking medical help for depression is a sign of weakness - a public position that would never be tolerated if it were aimed at people with cancer or heart disease. We've advocated for years for the involvement of consumers, patients and families in research so that the questions are relevant and the findings make sense. We've advocated for years for the eradication of the stigma and discrimination that surrounds issues of mental health and mental illness. What's the message in THIS pill bottle? Stigma is reinforced and real harm results when the interests of the people who are most affected are not considered. Phil Upshall Executive Director Mood Disorders Society of Canada |