Treating Depression: Is there a placebo effect?

Harvard scientist Dr. Irving Kirsch (no relation to Dr. Daniel Kirsch of EPI) says the drugs used to treat depression are effective, but for many, it's not the active ingredient that's making people feel better. It's the placebo effect. Irving Kirsch is Associate Director of the Program in Placebo Studies and a lecturer in medicine at the Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He is also a professor of psychology at Plymouth University in the United Kingdom, and professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Hull, United Kingdom, and the University of Connecticut in the United States. Kirsch is noted for his research on placebo effects, antidepressants, expectancy, and hypnosis. He is the originator of response expectancy theory, and his analyses of clinical trials of antidepressants have influenced official treatment guidelines in the United Kingdom.