BMJ  2004;329:748 (25 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7468.748

reviews

Press

Journalists on Prozac

Did major media outlets fail to ask the right questions about depression study?

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Recent headlines announcing the results of a US study of clinically depressed adolescents were unequivocal: "Talk and pills best for depression in kids" (CNN.com); "Prescribed drugs with therapy aid teen depression" (Wall Street Journal); "Combination aids depressed youths" (New York Times); and "Prozac plus talk is best for teen depression" (Washington Post).

The headlines were matched by the exuberant claim of the study researchers who said that 71% of teenagers treated with a combination of fluoxetine (Prozac) and cognitive behaviour therapy improved—compared with only 35% of teens treated with placebo alone. That claim, published last month ( JAMA 2004;292: 807-20[Abstract/Free Full Text]), was based on data from the Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS), a nationwide, 13-site study of 439 depressed adolescents.

But several points that might concern both laypeople and scientists went unreported by the New York . . . [Full text of this article]

Jeanne Lenzer, medical investigative journalist

Kingston, New York state, USA jeanne.lenzer@verizon.net


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to StumbleUpon StumbleUpon   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Article

TADS study raises concerns
Jon Jureidini, Anne Tonkin, and Peter R Mansfield
BMJ 2004 329: 1343-1344. [Extract] [Full Text]

This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Green, L. (2006). An unhealthy neglect? Examining the relationship between child health and gender in research and policy. Critical Social Policy 26: 450-466 [Abstract]  
  • Jureidini, J., Tonkin, A., Mansfield, P. R (2004). TADS study raises concerns. BMJ 329: 1343-1344 [Full text]  

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Concerns about the TADS study
Jon N Jureidini, et al.
bmj.com, 25 Sep 2004 [Full text]
Lenzer's Piece Exemplifies Journalistic Errors
Nicholas A. DeMartinis
bmj.com, 11 Oct 2004 [Full text]
Dr DeMartinis is Mistaken
Jeanne Lenzer
bmj.com, 11 Oct 2004 [Full text]
Statistical Analysis in TADS
Stephen L. Black
bmj.com, 11 Oct 2004 [Full text]
Reply to Stephen Black and Nicholas DeMartinis
Peter R Mansfield
bmj.com, 15 Oct 2004 [Full text]
CBT versus both placebos and drugs, or a mistake?
Susan F Anspach
bmj.com, 7 Dec 2004 [Full text]
Access jobs at BMJ Careers
Whats new online at Student BMJ