Book · 2009 · Antidepressants
The Emperor's New Drugs
The Emperor's New Drugs by Irving Kirsch has been mentioned in 2 episodes across 2 podcasts (0 episodes recommend it and 2 episodes discuss it), through . Most frequently brought up by Stuart Ritchie (1 episode) on Modern Wisdom (1 episode) and No Stupid Questions (1 episode).
- episodes
- 2
- podcasts
- 2
- person
- 1
- episodes recommend it
- 0
Irvin Kirsch the famous critic of um antidepressants published a book called the emperor's new drugs I think it's called about antidepressants and he said an effect size of 0.2 is the average that you get out of studies of antidepressants.
Why people recommend it
The Emperor's New Drugs by Irving Kirsch is a critical examination of antidepressants and the methodologies used in pharmaceutical research, arguing that the therapeutic benefits of these medications are largely driven by the placebo effect. The book was discussed across multiple podcast episodes in relation to psychological science and clinical practice. On an episode of No Stupid Questions, Angela discussed reading the book, noting how the author explores ways therapists can better understand and cultivate response expectancies, illustrating this with an anecdote about a person learning to appreciate spicy food. Additionally, on an episode of Modern Wisdom, Dr. Stuart Ritchie referenced Kirsch as a famous critic of antidepressants who published the book to scrutinize clinical data, highlighting the author's findings regarding the modest average effect sizes found in studies of psychiatric drugs. These references showcase the book's value as both a critical analysis of psychiatric methodology and a practical resource for understanding expectation in therapeutic environments.
Every mention
Stuart Ritchie Irvin Kirsch the famous critic of um antidepressants published a book called the emperor's new drugs I thin… 1
“Irvin Kirsch the famous critic of um antidepressants published a book called the emperor's new drugs I think it's called about antidepressants and he said an effect size of 0.2 is the average that you get out of studies of antidepressants”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker1
“I mean, here's the example he gave in, I'm reading his book right now, about how therapists can better understand and create response expectancies. So he tells the story of not liking spicy food.”