title: Consenting not to be informed: a survey on the acceptability of placebo use in the treatment of depression.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the opinions of healthy students regarding the acceptability of placebo treatment if they were to experience depression. A survey was conducted among 344 students in five academic centers in Israel. After a thorough explanation of the placebo effect, its efficacy and limitations in the treatment of depression, the study participants completed a 32-item self-report questionnaire. Seventy percent (n = 243) of the participants answered that they would agree to treatment with a placebo as a first-line treatment if they were to experience depression in the future. Eighty-eight percent (n = 297) of the subjects did not think that a physician who administered placebos was deceitful. Once aware of the possible benefits and limitations of placebo treatment, most of our study population was willing to accept placebo as a legitimate treatment of depression. Additional studies on the possible use of placebo as an effective, safe, and acceptable form of therapy are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Shalvata Mental Health Center, Hod Hasharon, Israel. urini@clalit.org.il
authors.forename: Uri
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Nitzan
authors.forename: Kfir
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Feffer
authors.forename: Yuval
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bloch
authors.forename: Pesach
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lichtenberg
authors.forename: Shaul
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lev-Ran
authors.forename: Gideon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wolfman
authors.forename: Shmuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fennig
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000523:psychology*; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D015990:Placebo Effect; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents