Irving Kirsch

One problem I have with drug companies is that they don't make all their data public.

There are a variety of techniques to help people change the kind of thinking that leads them to become depressed. These techniques are called cognitive behavioral therapy.

There seems little reason to prescribe anti-depressant medication to any but the most severely depressed patients.

Anything that instills a sense of hope will at least temporarily help treat depression.

Psychotherapy works, and some types of therapy have been shown to be much more effective than antidepressants over the long run.

I do a lot of research on the placebo effect, not just in depression but in irritable bowel syndrome, pain, arthritis of the knee, migraine, asthma.

The doctor-patient relationship is critical to the placebo effect.

Perhaps 10 percent of patients who are prescribed antidepressants are really benefiting from the drugs' active ingredients.

To someone who is not currently on anti-depressants, I would suggest trying other treatments first - for example, psychotherapy.

If you're taking an antidepressant, it's working, and you're not experiencing side effects, go on taking it. But if it's not working, or not working well enough, or if you have side effects you don't like, talk to your doctor about an alternative approach.

Antidepressants can have troubling side effects and are addictive for some people.

Patients who trust their doctors and have a psychological expectation of getting better could trigger a reaction in their body.