Placebo Effect

Expectations and beliefs are presented as relevant to health behavior and subjective vitality. Positive genetic narratives could theoretically motivate improvement through the same placebo mechanism shown in the study. The pharmaceutical industry treats the placebo effect as a confound to eliminate rather than a mechanism to study. Placebo responses are described as sometimes approaching pharmaceutical effects within roughly 5% to 10%. A placebo reduced Hamilton Depression Scale scores by 9.6 points, compared to 1.8 additional points from the drug. The placebo effect accounts for 82% of total depression improvement observed in antidepressant clinical trials. The measured improvements and biological changes were attributed to participants' beliefs about genetic potential. The article frames the study as showing a placebo effect produced by genetic narratives. The article links the psychological component of longevity practice to the placebo effect. The placebo effect represents the primary mechanism of depression improvement in antidepressant trials. Publicly and privately reinforcing a longevity number is suggested as a way to strengthen the belief effect.