alexandra, I hate to disagree with you, but the research is quite clear in the overall efficacy of SSRIs to treat depression. While some specific SSRIs are weaker than others in terms of their efficacy, the overall positive therapeutic effects of SSRIs on depression are undisputed.

And when I say "undisputed," I mean that no researcher seriously believes SSRIs, as a class of drugs, have no or just minimal positive effects on depression. Ask any depression researcher who's done work in the SSRI world and they will tell you straight up -- these are not just small statistical effects when taken as a whole.

Now, the actual news article on the recent FDA warnings might be helpful to refer back to: http://psychcentral.com/news/2007/05...tidepressants/

<blockquote>
The drug agency reached its conclusions after analyzing nearly 300 studies of antidepressants, which in total included over 75,000 adult research subjects. The analysis found no increased risk of completed suicides in people taking antidepressant medications.

However, among 19- to 24-year-olds taking the antidepressants, 21 people did attempt suicide. This resulted in the panel concluding that antidepressants presented twice the risk in young adults of the same age who took placebo pills.
</blockquote>

So out of 75,000 research subjects, 21 people had committed suicide. On placebo, only 10 or 11 people did. While this was significant enough for them to issue the new warning, you can see the global risk remains quite small. To put it into perspective, a person suffering from depression is far more likely to be involved in a serious car accident that will result in their death than to commit suicide while on an SSRI.

DocJohn