Question

in a review of research by fournier and colleagues (2010) on the effectiveness of antidepressants, why did some studies show antidepressants work, while others showed they were no better than placebos?
correct answer(s)
for those who were severely depressed, antidepressant treatment was more effective than a placebo, but for those with mild depression, antidepressants showed no benefit.
antidepressants never work for people with mild or moderate depression, and they always work for people with severe depression.
antidepressants were effective for mild cases, whereas placebos were more effective for severe cases.
neither antidepressants nor placebos consistently benefit people with depression.
incorrect answer(s)

Explanation:

The correct answer is the first option because Fournier et al.'s (2010) research on antidepressants' effectiveness found that antidepressants were more effective than placebos for those with severe depression but not for those with mild depression. The second option is incorrect as it uses absolute terms ("never," "always") which don't match the research. The third option is incorrect as it reverses the findings (antidepressants are more effective for severe, not mild, and placebos aren't more effective for severe). The fourth option is incorrect as the research showed antidepressants did benefit severe cases.

Answer:

A. For those who were severely depressed, antidepressant treatment was more effective than a placebo, but for those with mild depression, antidepressants showed no benefit.