Study Finds Placebos Can Alleviate Stress and Anxiety

New Delhi: A team of scientists has discovered that even placebos can remotely reduce stress, anxiety, and depression in individuals.

Anxiety is a mental health condition characterized by excessive worry, fear, or nervousness, often accompanied by physical symptoms like rapid heartbeat and restlessness. Depression, on the other hand, involves persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a lack of interest or pleasure in activities. Both conditions can significantly impact daily life and may require treatment, including therapy or medication.

The study, published in the journal Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, found that the non-deceptive group showed a significant decrease in stress, anxiety and depression in just two weeks compared to the no-treatment control group.

Participants also reported that the non-deceptive placebos were easy to use, not burdensome and appropriate for the situation.

For the study, researchers recruited participants experiencing prolonged stress from the pandemic for a two-week randomized controlled trial.

The participants interacted with a researcher online through four virtual sessions on Zoom.

Those in the non-deceptive placebo group received information on the placebo effect and were sent placebo pills in the mail along with and instructions on taking the pills.

Jason Moser, co-author and professor in Michigan State University’s Department of Psychology, said that exposure to long-term stress can impair a person’s ability to manage emotions and cause significant mental health problems long-term.

“We are excited to see that an intervention that takes minimal effort can still lead to significant benefits,” Moser added. “This minimal burden makes non-deceptive placebos an attractive intervention for those with significant stress, anxiety and depression.”

The researchers are hopeful in the ability to remotely administer the non-deceptive placebos by health care providers.

“This ability to administer non-deceptive placebos remotely increases scalability potential dramatically,” said Darwin Guevarra, co-author of the study and postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, San Francisco.

Remotely administered non-deceptive placebos have the potential to help individuals struggling with mental health concerns who otherwise would not have access to traditional mental health services, the researchers noted.