BMJ  2008;336:562 (8 March), doi:10.1136/bmj.39510.443947.59

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Bitter sweets

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

We clinicians have a stereotyped view of university academics: bearded cyclists, with sandals and odd terry socks, writing books that no one will read but that, fortunately, they never finish. But our academic comrades can enjoy a moment in the sun. Splashed across all the media, a recent meta-analysis of antidepressants concluded, after a reanalysis of unpublished data released through freedom of information legislation, that they are no better than placebo in all but severe cases of depression (BMJ 2008;336:466 doi: 10.1136/bmj.39503.656852.DB, 2008;336:532-4 doi: 10.1136/bmj.39504.662685.0F). The study seems to vindicate the position, held by many, that antidepressants are overprescribed. However, this isn’t a time to say "we told you so" but an opportunity to reflect.

Leaving aside the merits (or lack thereof) of the study, why weren’t these conclusions available a decade ago? Private companies own the data from trials and have enormous vested interests in controlling . . . [Full text of this article]

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