On Thu, 30 Sep 2004, Stephen Black went:
when a decision is made to treat someone with behaviour therapy alone (without a drug), it wouldn't hurt to tell the patient something like this: "I'm also going to ask a doctor to prescribe a pill for you which can sometimes be very helpful for people undergoing therapy. We don't really understand how it works but I can assure you that it's very safe and has no side effects." Then arrange for them to receive a placebo.
You're not the first:
"I propose that the initial treatment for selected depressed patients should be four to six weeks of placebo. Patients so treated should be informed that the placebo pill contains no drug but that this treatment can be helpful."
Brown WA. Placebo as a treatment for depression. Neuropsychopharmacology 10(4):265-269, July 1994.
--David Epstein [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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