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Labelling and drug effects in the treatment of neurotic affective disorders: an experimental investigation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Clive Hyde*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of South Manchester, Manchester
David Goldberg
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of South Manchester, Manchester
*
1Address for correspondence Dr Clive Hyde, Department of Psychiatry. University Hospital of South Manchester, West Didsbury, Manchester M20 8LR.

Synopsis

This study investigates the effects of assigned diagnostic labels, with their accompanying predictions of therapeutic response, and prescribed psychotropic drugs. It was thought that such ‘labelling’ effects might be important in ambiguous situations, such as neurotic anxiety–depressive states, where diagnoses of ‘reactive depression’ or ‘anxiety state’ might justifiably be made and treatment with either diazepam or nortripyline legitimately given. The depression label and its concomitant two-weekly prediction of improvement with antidepressants produced a set towards slower response with higher self-report depression. Nortriptyline produced significantly more improvement in self-report depression than diazepam in the first 2 weeks of treatment. No significant interaction effects were detected between diagnosis or drug. One month after the initial diagnostic evaluation there were no significant effects from either diagnostic label or drug.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1983

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