Scott Alexander critically examines a major meta-analysis on antidepressant efficacy, noting potential biases and comparing its surprising drug rankings to his own previous analysis. Longer summary

This post reviews a major meta-analysis by Cipriani et al on the efficacy of antidepressants. The study claims to definitively show antidepressants work, but Scott notes it doesn't actually refute previous critiques about their effectiveness. He examines potential biases and methodological issues in the study, particularly around industry funding of trials. Scott also discusses the study's ranking of different antidepressants, noting some matches with conventional wisdom but also some surprising results. He compares these rankings to his own previous analysis, finding major discrepancies, and concludes by urging some caution in interpreting the study's results despite its impressive scope. Shorter summary