ANTI-DEPRESSANT DRUG TRIALS

That this House welcomes the revelation under Freedom of Information of un-published trial reports on anti-depressants that prove they are no more effective than placebos for the great majority of patients; deplores the practice of pharmaceutical companies of suppressing publication of trials with negative results that has encouraged the over-prescription of drugs that have serious adverse side-effects; and calls for a re-appraisal of the efficacy of drug treatment for mild depression compared with the drug-free therapies of exercise and cognitive behaviour therapy.