A depressed teenager treated with medication begins feeling better immediately, even though the medication typically takes weeks to work. This is an example of a _______ effect.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This scenario describes the placebo effect, which occurs when a patient experiences improvement in symptoms simply because they believe they are receiving a treatment, even if that treatment is not an active intervention. In this case, the teenager's improvement is likely due to the expectation of improvement after taking the medication, rather than any actual pharmacological effects of the medication itself.

A Depressed Teenager Treated with Medication Begins Feeling Better Immediately