Placebo approach may pave way for new therapeutic depression treatments
Despite being a common mental illness, depression often gets brushed aside in thin air due to inadequate treatment facilities and prevalent social stigma. Depression is a debilitating mental issue that affects millions in the United States every year. According to the findings of the World Health Organization (WHO), it is the leading cause of disability in the world affecting more than 300 million people of all age groups.
The persistence of depression for a long period may lead to several health hazards, such as fatigue, insomnia, low appetite and weight loss, overeating and heavy weight gains, thoughts of death and even suicide. However, repercussions of depression can be overcome through placebo treatment. In fact, there is an interesting association between antidepressants and the placebo effect. The level of response of a person to real antidepressants depends on how accurately a person responds to fake medications. Read more →