Mental health drugs ‘do work’

Claims that antidepressants don’t work are dangerous and akin to climate change denial, mental health professionals and expert say.

The Press reported on a Christchurch conference on Tuesday, in which Cochrane Collaboration cofounder Peter Gotzsche said antidepressants don’t work and other speakers questioned the efficacy of the current mental health treatment model.

The Cochrane research organisation has said it did not share the views of Gotzsche on the benefits and harms of psychiatric drugs, according the British Medical Journal.

Views on the issue are dividing the medical community globally.

Imperial College London neuropsychopharmacology professor David Nutt, who is visiting New Zealand on a William Evans Fellowship with Otago University said views reported from the conference were ‘‘inaccurate’’. ‘‘Antidepressants do work and they’re very effective for people who are depressed and anxious. They save lives and reduce suicide risk.

‘‘To say they don’t work completely misrepresents the data and denies people access to a potentially life saving treatment.’’

Psychiatric drugs had side effects ‘‘like any other medication’’ but modern antidepressants were ‘‘one of the safest medicines in the history of the world.’’

There was ‘‘overwhelming evidence’’ supporting the view that mental health problems were caused by chemical imbalances in the brain.

‘‘It’s like the climate change debate. Some people do not want it to be true but there is a biological element. It’s not a myth.’’

Otago University, Christchurch, head of psychological medicine and Christchurch psychiatrist Professor Richard Porter said the appropriate treatment for mild depression was psychotherapy. For moderate depression, the recommendation was therapy or antidepressants and for severe depression it was both.

‘‘There is no doubt when you look at more severe types of depression that antidepressants are effective,’’ he said.

He was concerned people with severe depression might decide to stop treatment after reading Gotzsche’s views, which could put them at greater risk of relapse and suicide. A ‘‘global statement’’ that drugs don’t work was dangerous.

Each patients needed to discuss their needs with their doctors. ‘‘I would caution against discontinuing drugs without having a discussion with your doctor first.’’