title: Assessing the efficacy of antidepressants: the transactional paradigm.
abstract: Extant pharmacological literature seems to indicate that antidepressants are the most effective treatment for depression. However, there are flaws in the traditional paradigm for evaluating the efficacy of antidepressants. The traditional paradigm in pharmacology has adopted a biologically monistic causal structure, suggesting that the efficacy of antidepressants resides exclusively in biological pathways. The current paradigm in pharmacology has ignored the potential impact of psychological factors associated with the efficacy of antidepressants. This has occurred because psychological effects are seen as being a "paradigmatic anomaly," phenomena that are at odds with the traditional paradigm. Thus, the psychological factors associated with the administration of antidepressants have collectively been labeled as a "placebo effect" and discounted as a potential treatment pathway. However, empirical evidence suggests that the psychological factors, such as the formation of patient expectancies and a therapeutic alliance between physician and patient, increase the efficacy of antidepressants. Consequently, the current paper proposes the adoption of a transactional model that reflects the reciprocal interaction between psychological and biological factors associated with the efficacy of antidepressants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, 1E7 WMC 8440-112 Street, Edmonton, Alta., Canada T6G 2B7. ulrich@ualberta.ca
authors.forename: U B
authors.initials: UB
authors.lastname: Wolfaardt
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Reddon
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Joyce
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004341:Drug Evaluation / Q000379:methods*; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D019222:Mind-Body Relations, Metaphysical; D008960:Models, Psychological; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D015990:Placebo Effect; D011603:Psychophysiology; D011613:Psychotherapy; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D012107:Research Design; D012944:Social Support
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents