Authors' reply to Gøtzsche and Hamilton

Abstract

Gøtzsche raises an important problem: the risk of dependence in people taking second generation antidepressants. The evidence for this is mixed, and the discussion of the balance between harm and benefit remains an active one.4 Careful consideration of what dependence is and how it overlaps with symptoms of drug discontinuation is key. Withdrawal symptoms are associated with discontinuation of many second generation antidepressants, but they are...