A new study in JAMA finds that commonly used antidepressant medications¹ are no better than placebo for mild to moderate depression. Since 13.5 million Americans who take antidepressants fall into this category, the total health expense for this fraud is 5 billion dollars per year.

The research looked at several types of antidepressants, serotonin reuptake inhibitors (paroxetine/Paxil) and tricylcics (imipramine). Only patients with severe depression had any benefit at all. These findings are consistent with the large body of antidepressant studies originally submitted to the FDA but not published in the literature (due to Big Pharma influence).

Most of the SSRIs are now generic. This means the drug companies have enjoyed 15 years of fraudulent profits based on false promotion of benefits. The cost is actually to the taxpayers. It is this exact type of fraud that drives needed health care costs out the roof.