When we see large studies with large numbers of patients, while exciting, we need to be more critical in interpreting the results, paying attention to the comparison groups and whether the study adjusts for the variables that can be very relevant to the outcome of interest.
Dr. Cohen is the director of the Center for Women’s Mental Health at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, which provides information about reproductive mental health at www.womensmentalhealth.org. He has been a consultant to manufacturers of antidepressant medications, and the Danish study was funded with one of the author’s post doc grants from the Danish Council for Independent Research Companies. To comment, e-mail him at obnews@frontlinemedcom.com.