I've heard first-hand stories of people scared off from anti-depressants by exaggerated fears about their alleged dangers (promoted by some serious scientists, but more by Scientologists and others with ideological, not scientific, objections), and other first-hand stories from those whose lives were miraculously turned around by them. So, I'm glad to see that there is good news about their safety and effectiveness:

The researchers found that the risk of attempted suicide was 60 percent lower in the month after treatment began and that it continued to decline. While the overall risk for suicide was higher for adolescents than adults, the reduction in risk was about the same for both groups. When the researchers specifically examined 10 of the newest antidepressants, such as Prozac -- the ones that have come under the most suspicion -- they found that the risk was even lower.

What the article doesn't say is how these results, and other positive results reported, diverge from placebo results. If anyone has access to the data, feel free to post it in comments.