tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1098361547792425611.post8945038051934763699..comments2023-11-14T20:22:36.929-08:00Comments on Knowledge Is Necessity: Rethinking DepressionJohn McManamyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11857174305041382349noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1098361547792425611.post-68076925599162074322010-03-27T19:39:17.453-07:002010-03-27T19:39:17.453-07:00Hey, Karen. This is very very interesting. I'd...Hey, Karen. This is very very interesting. I'd love to have you do some guest blogs.John McManamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11857174305041382349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1098361547792425611.post-72416556338356830792010-03-27T13:29:44.343-07:002010-03-27T13:29:44.343-07:00There are a couple of things to consider.
First...There are a couple of things to consider. <br /> <br />First, understanding statistical mumbo jumbo is essential, along with other design like length of study, sample size, cutoff level for degree of significance, lack of a placebo and even "placebos" that aren't really inert. I look at studies every day citing percent changes between percentage rates, which will exaggerate the Karen Vaughanhttp://www.acupuncturebrooklyn.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1098361547792425611.post-16785029809188376822010-03-17T11:09:42.834-07:002010-03-17T11:09:42.834-07:00Hey, Willa. I agree. The non-inclusion of a placeb...Hey, Willa. I agree. The non-inclusion of a placebo arm makes any STARD*D finding suspect. But I nevertheless submit that the findings do support the wisdom of taking a second antidepressant after the first one failed. <br /><br />I also found the finding that trying a third offered scant chance of recovery to be a real eye-opener.<br /><br />The results from STAR*D were not quite what the John McManamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11857174305041382349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1098361547792425611.post-68016401308078409602010-03-17T10:32:07.838-07:002010-03-17T10:32:07.838-07:00I have enormous problems with the STAR*D study. L...I have enormous problems with the STAR*D study. Let's start with the absence of a placebo group. In its absence, we really can't tell whether 2/3rds get better with one or two antidepressants. Cycling or not, depression goes away (at least temporarily) on its own. Given the high level of clinical follow-up all the way through, I expect that the placebo rate would have been higher thanWilla Goodfellowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05816752444634576606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1098361547792425611.post-45555672765185691872010-03-17T10:05:51.813-07:002010-03-17T10:05:51.813-07:00Hi, Tony. I would give a qualified "yes"...Hi, Tony. I would give a qualified "yes" to that. Talking therapists tend to jump on every study critical of meds, with no critical thinking evident. Various antipsychiatry advocates make a living on government largesse and as speakers. Vitamins/supplements is an industry far more corrupt than the drug industry.<br /><br />By the same token, a number of courageous individuals have John McManamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11857174305041382349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1098361547792425611.post-78250643116890561412010-03-17T09:26:11.856-07:002010-03-17T09:26:11.856-07:00From what I read of the New Yorker article, it see...From what I read of the New Yorker article, it seems that the people who criticize pharma for selling drugs have something to sell themselves. They want people to buy their books and use there "treatment". They are as biased as pharma-funded doctors. Their attack on medications reeks of getting rid of the competition.Tonynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1098361547792425611.post-35930190025881034072010-03-16T14:06:01.580-07:002010-03-16T14:06:01.580-07:00Many thanks, Fern. I'm looking forward to hear...Many thanks, Fern. I'm looking forward to hearing back from you.John McManamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11857174305041382349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1098361547792425611.post-1436565126157343242010-03-16T13:49:06.485-07:002010-03-16T13:49:06.485-07:00Looks really interesting, John, and I think you ar...Looks really interesting, John, and I think you are on to something. I'm going to need to do some thinking about this.Fernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08616423254629830078noreply@blogger.com