Affiliations: Wenn wir von Patienten und Ärzten sprechen, sind
immer beide Geschlechter gemeint
Note: [] Korrespondenzadresse: Dr. Yvonne Nestoriuc, AG Klinische
Psychologie und Psychotherapie, Fachbereich Psychologie,
Philipps-Universität Marburg, Gutenbergstraße 18, 35032 Marburg.
Tel.: 06421 2824051; Fax: 06421 2828904; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Objectives: The nocebo phenomenon refers to adverse side effects
that are brought on by placebos. Experimental studies showed that gender plays
a role in the nocebo response. This study aims to analyse the clinical
relevance of gender effects in the context of clinical trials on
antidepressants with depressive patients as well as anxiety patients. Methods: Data from a recent meta-analysis on antidepressants (k =143; n= 12.742) are
reanalysed to investigate the hypothesized moderating influence of gender on
reported nocebo effects. Results: Studies with a high percentage of male
patients (>66.6%) reported higher nocebo rates in 4 out of a total of 11
symptom categories. After controlling for diagnosis, gender effects became more
pronounced. In patients with depressive disorders, rates where significantly
higher for male participants in 9 out of 11 symptoms (e. g., dizziness: odds
ratio (OR) 10.5; con-fidence interval (CI) 6.2 – 18.0; p < 0.001).
Opposite effects where found in studies with patients with anxiety disorders.
Here, 8 out of 11 symptoms where reported more often in studies with a higher
percentage of female patients (e. g., dizziness: OR 0.3; CI 0.2 – 0.6; p < 0.001). Conclusions: In clinical studies, female and male patients have a
different risk of developing adverse side effects when taking
antidepressant-placebos. These gender effects are related to diagnoses and need
to be taken into account during the planning of clinical trials.
