Pop a million happy pills? Antidepressants, nuance, and the media

“Pop more happy pills,” screamed the Sun’s front page on 22 February. It referred to the first major network meta-analysis comparing 21 antidepressants for acute depression in adults, published in the Lancet.1 All were found to be more effective than placebo for short term treatment.2

“Antidepressants: major study finds they work,” said the BBC. “The drugs do work: antidepressants are effective, study shows,” announced Sarah Boseley in the Guardian,3 in contrast to her coverage of a previous meta-analysis almost a decade ago: “Prozac, used by 40m people, does not work say scientists.”45

Many news outlets called for more prescribing: “Antidepressants should be given to a million more Britons,” instructed the Telegraph.6 But what about …