Sun, 20 Dec 2009
Anti-depressants and personality shift
Lisa pointed me to a Science News article discussing Paxil, a medicine prescribed for depression. The important bit:
“We propose that modern antidepressants work partly by correcting the long-term personality risk factors for depression,” Tang says.
The article explains that, even after "accounting for the extent to which each treatment diminished standard measures of depression," taking Paxil makes you less neurotic and less introverted.
Recently we learned that the placebo effect is getting stronger. What this research makes me wonder is, If we helped these people adjust these personality traits via e.g. cognitive therapy, and then gave them placebo, would they have the same high success in defeating depression as the Paxil takers?
Please understand that I do believe the lived experience of depressed people is terrible. I don't mean to diminish their suffering. I'm wondering here about ways how we can help people be happier.
