Irving Kirsch

Irving Kirsch
Born (1943-03-07) March 7, 1943 (age 81)
Known forPlacebo research
Scientific career
FieldsPsychiatry

Irving Kirsch (born March 7, 1943) is an American psychologist and academic. He is the Associate Director of the Program in Placebo Studies and a lecturer in medicine at the Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.[1] He is also professor emeritus of psychology at the Universities of Hull and Plymouth in the United Kingdom, and the University of Connecticut in the United States.[2][3] Kirsch is a leading researcher within the field of placebo studies who is noted for his work on placebo effects, antidepressants, expectancy, and hypnosis. He is the originator of response expectancy theory, and his analyses of clinical trials of antidepressants have influenced official treatment guidelines in the United Kingdom. He is the author of the 2009 book The Emperor's New Drugs, which argued most antidepressant medication is effective primarily due to placebo effects.

  1. ^ "Our team". Program in Placebo Studies & Therapeutic Encounter (PiPS).
  2. ^ "Irving Kirsch". University of Plymouth, School of Psychology. Archived from the original on 2016-09-24. Retrieved 2014-11-28.
  3. ^ "Irving Kirsch". University of Connecticut, Dept. Psychology. Archived from the original on 2010-06-24. Retrieved 2014-02-18.