May 10, 2023

Cochrane Review on antidepressants for chronic pain

Millions of people around the world are prescribed antidepressants to treat chronic pain. In many countries, including the UK, regulators and doctors recommend a range of different antidepressants to help with pain. But do they work? A new Cochrane Review provides the biggest analysis to date, examining 176 clinical trials with around 30,000 patients to determine which antidepressants, if any, actually help with chronic pain.

Journalists dialled in to this briefing to hear from some of the authors of the review, and to ask them questions.

Speakers included:

Prof Tamar Pincus, Professor in Health Psychology at the University of Southampton

Dr Hollie Birkinshaw, Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Southampton

Dr Gavin Stewart, Senior Lecturer in Evidence Synthesis at the University of Newcastle

This Briefing was accompanied by an SMC Roundup of Comments.