Role of pill-taking, expectation and therapeutic alliance in the placebo response in clinical trials for major depression.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Pill-taking, expectations and therapeutic alliance may account for much of the benefit of medication and placebo treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). Aims To examine the effects of medication, placebo and supportive care on treatment outcome, and the relationships of expectations and therapeutic alliance to improvement.

Method

A total of 88 participants were randomised to 8 weeks of treatment with supportive care alone or combined with double-blind treatment with placebo or antidepressant medication. Expectations of medication effectiveness, general treatment effectiveness and therapeutic alliance were measured (trial registration at ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00200902).

Results

Medication or placebo plus supportive care were not significantly differe

SUBMITTER: Leuchter AF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4248233 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature