From this study, the most important result, in my opinion, came from a basic question we asked: “How effective do you think…
From this study, the most important result, in my opinion, came from a basic question we asked: “How effective do you think antidepressants are?” We analyzed the responses by year of study, from first to sixth-year medical students.
When we asked first-year students about the effectiveness of antidepressants, they rated it just above no effect, essentially saying the effect was modest. This aligns with the most positive meta-analyses, like the Cipriani study, which also describes the effect as modest. So, the first-year students basically got it right.
However, by the second year, the perceived effectiveness started to rise. By the fourth year, their perception had increased significantly, rating antidepressants between moderate and high effectiveness. This change highlights how education can shape and sometimes distort perceptions over time.
From the very beginning of medical studies, we’re driven to trust medicine and the drugs we prescribe. We’re taught that what we do is inherently good. I think this was the most interesting part of our findings because it shows that we need a complete overhaul—not just in psychiatry, but at the root. We need to address the culture, the media, and the education system to help people understand that things aren’t always as they’re presented. We need to start in medical schools.
– Demedicalizing Depression: An Interview with Milutin Kosti