What is placebo?

The original meaning of the word placebo is, "I will please." That statement comes from a time when doctors didn't have our modern code of ethics, and they would prescribe whatever would make the person feel better. They probably had the best intentions, but they also would have known that whatever they were prescribing might not have been a real medication for the symptoms the patient was experiencing.

Doctors, even then, knew that suggestion was powerful, sometimes more powerful than the medicine they were prescribing.

Laypeople who hear the word "placebo" automatically think of sugar pills. They may think only that it's something a doctor gives to placate and make people feel better when they aren't getting the active medication. Placebos have long been used as a comparison arm for clinical trials. Usually it is in the form of an inert sugar pill or sham-procedure. Researchers can observe a psychobiological response known as the placebo effect.

But when thinking about the word "placebo," we must think of the entire effect of it, and it is perhaps better termed "the meaning effect." As I discussed in last week's episode of the podcast, the meaning we give something creates belief, and belief is a potent change mechanism, even when it comes to our physical health. It is especially potent when it comes to mental health.

The placebo effect encompasses the therapeutic alliance, expectations, natural healing of the body and mind, and the environment of therapy. It involves the power of suggestion, mood, and the beliefs behind even one positive or negative interaction with a doctor. It also, as we will see, involves studies involving heavy-hitting medication.

When there is an increased ritual, there is an increased placebo effect. During a hospital stay, the surgery preparation, meetings with doctors, nurses and therapists can have an incredibly therapeutic effect on a patient. It is possible to see biological mechanisms triggered by psychosocial context and attribute it to a placebo effect.

What is the power of suggestion, the meaning effect, placebo effect, and how do we use it or avoid it in our practices and when testing new medical treatments?

By listening to this episode, you can earn 1 Psychiatry CME Credits.

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Understanding Placebo

Psychiatry & Psychotherapy Podcast