A website describes a new treatment of mental disorders developed during the last decade. The treatment involves taking a regimen of vitamins and minerals designed to reduce anxiety. Testimonials from several people who took the supplements claimed that they felt less anxious after taking them for only two weeks. The website also claimed that the treatment was effective for treating depression, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. All but one of the following statements is a reason to suspect that the treatment might be pseudoscientific. Which one is NOT a reason to suspect it is?
A) It seems implausible that the treatment would be effective for so many different conditions.
B) The treatment seems to be supported by low-quality evidence.
C) Other clinical sciences do not claim that nutritional deficiency is the cause of anxiety.
D) The treatment seems to be a fairly new therapy developed during the last decade.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The fact that the treatment is a new therapy developed during the last decade does not necessarily make it pseudoscientific. New therapies can sometimes prove to be effective through rigorous scientific testing. However, the other options (A, B, and C) are all reasons to be skeptical of the treatment. The claim that the treatment can effectively treat a range of mental disorders is improbable, the evidence used to support the treatment is low-quality, and the idea that nutritional deficiency is the sole cause of anxiety is not well-supported by other clinical disciplines.

A Website Describes a New Treatment of Mental Disorders Developed