ANTIDEPRESSANTS: Patients Report 20 Times More Side Effects Than Doctors Report
The investigators followed 300 patients who were in
ongoing outpatient treatment for depression over six weeks. The authors compared
what the patient reported on a standardized scale of 31 different side effects
(Toronto Side Effects Scale; TSES) with the information recorded by the treating
psychiatrist on each patient’s chart. The main finding: A stunning disconnect
between psychiatrists and their patients. The average number of side effects
reported by the patients on the TSES was 20 times (!) higher than the number
recorded by the psychiatris. When the investigators concentrated on those side
effects that were most troubling to the patient, patients still reported
2 to 3 times more side effects than were recorded by the treating
psychiatrist.