Healthy Skepticism Library item: 13713

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Publication type: Journal Article

De Jonge, Bockting CL.
Selective Publication of Antidepressant Trials
NEJM 2008 May 15; 358:(20):2180-2182
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/extract/358/20/2180

Abstract:

To the Editor: The importance of the study reported by Turner et al. (Jan. 17 issue),1 on selective publication of antidepressant trials, can hardly be overstated because it shows how researchers and clinicians are deprived of accurate data, resulting in a wrong understanding of antidepressant efficacy. The most serious implication of this study is that guidelines for the treatment of depression may be inaccurate, since they are often based on meta-analyses of published data alone.2,3

This current system makes it impossible for scientific journals to provide a valid picture of the efficacy of antidepressants. Therefore, we propose that meta-analyses be accepted only when they include an adequate analysis of the potential bias due to exclusion of unpublished studies (beyond Egger plots, since large negative trials may also remain unpublished).

Keywords:
Publication Types: Comment Letter MeSH Terms: Antidepressive Agents/therapeutic use* Clinical Trials as Topic* Evidence-Based Medicine Humans Meta-Analysis as Topic* Outcome Assessment (Health Care) Practice Guidelines as Topic Publication Bias* Substances: Antidepressive Agents

Notes:

Comment on:
N Engl J Med. 2008 Jan 17;358(3):252-60.