Antidepressant-placebo differences in 16 clinical trials over 10 years at a single site: role of baseline severity

Background Antidepressant–placebo differences observed in randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials have always been relatively small and have further declined during the past three decades. During this same time, a decrease in patient severity of symptoms at baseline has occurred. The current study was designed to examine antidepressant–placebo difference scores and baseline severity of depression over a 10-year period in a sample of depressed patients enrolled at a single clinical trial site.