Prozac 'no better than placebo' for treating children with depression, experts

Re:Prozac 'no better than placebo' for treating children wit... by JumpCrisscross on Saturday November 22, 2025 @04:38AM (#46013458)

> but your comment brings to mind that one theory of a possible “function” of depression, is as a “sickness behavior” to help isolate a sick animal from others to protect the group. A sheep or cow getting sick and going off on its own is a common thing

It's one explanation of the phenomenon. I'm not remotely convinced by it, but that doesn't mean I think it's untrue.

What I do think we can conclude is that we have no evidence depression is caused by infection. (Singularly and universally, as OP implies.) With higher confidence I believe I can conclude that interrogating chatbots designed to keep your attention is a poor way to resolve this.

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Re:Prozac 'no better than placebo' for treating children wit... by DANmode on Saturday November 22, 2025 @11:14AM (#46015785)

> we have no evidence depression is caused by infection

Besides talking to patients and reading case files.

You can wait another decade or three for someone to spend the money on a specific study that meets your individual criteria (I'm sure very high), for doing obvious things like:

1.) Treating known infections, testing for others,

and

2.) Addressing nutritional gaps, as well as tracking circadian/endocrine, and nervous symptoms (which often intertwine with depression symptoms!)

but I will not wait.

I'd prefer to no longer be depressed, and/or unwell.

So I'll do the obvious things – even if they're not obvious to you, yet.

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