Madam, - I am surprised by the lack of response to several recent reports about the questionable efficacy of antidepressant medications.
I refer particularly to the recent large-scale study conducted by Prof Irving Kirsh at Hull University, which concluded that antidepressants were relatively ineffective in the treatment of mild depression, and some forms of severe depression. That is, an anti-depressant provided no more benefit to the patient than a placebo (historically a simple sugar pill).
It has been claimed that the Hull study had its methodological flaws (every study has), but it can equally be claimed that opposing studies, often funded by pharmaceutical companies, are selective in the data they report and usually favour of a product being prepared for the market.
The HSE spent more than €10 million on antidepressants in 2006. It would be interesting to calculate how many clinical or counselling psychologists €10 million would employ for a year, and how many people they could treat for depression in that time. The scientific literature is quite clear about the benefits of psychological "talk therapies" (cognitive behaviour therapy in particular) and it would certainly amount to a wiser investment choice.
Recent governments have failed to recognise this. One only has to look at the public hospitals to see that psychology is rarely even given departmental status - a pitiful reflection of our country's attitude to mental health.
This is a topic, like many others, that can so easily be polarised. Those in favour of drugs say "aye", those against scream from the rooftops. The fact is multi-modal approaches to the treatment of depression and other mental health problems are almost always the most effective. But we need to start making wise decisions based on strong evidence and not corporate vested interests - which, it has to be said, produce many life-saving drugs, but also have an eye firmly on their profit margins. - Yours, etc,
DAMIEN LOWRY, Counselling Psychologist, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.