Posted by SLS on July 22, 2005, at 11:01:09
In reply to Re: About my post..and Suicide... » linkadge, posted by SLS on July 22, 2005, at 8:42:12
Antidepressants Induce Remission in Most Patients
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Jul 08 - Results from 3 consecutive trials confirm the effectiveness of antidepressants in inducing remission for more than 90% of depressed patients, according to a report in the June Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.Dr. Frederic M. Quitkin and colleagues from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York examined remission rates in 171 outpatients treated with second-generation antidepressants and in 420 outpatients treated with first-generation antidepressants.
More than half the patients treated with a second-generation antidepressant were in remission, the authors report, and 9 of 20 patients treated with a second drug. Five of 13 patients treated with a third drug were in remission.
Overall, two-thirds of the patients entered into the trials were in remission, the report indicates. Among the patients who either remitted or received 3 treatment drugs, 93% were in remission.
Among patients treated with a first-generation antidepressant, 205 of 342 were in remission after the first drug treatment. The researchers note that 37 of 67 (55%) of patients who received a second drug and 12 of 24 patients who received a third drug were in remission.
Overall, then, 65% of those treated with a first-generation antidepressant were in remission, the results indicate. Among the patients in this group who either remitted or received 3 treatment drugs, 96% were in remission.
"Our data suggest that correctly diagnosed depressed patients who receive 3 adequate trials of antidepressant medication have an approximately 90% chance of achieving a state of remission," the authors conclude.
"We could find no systematic analysis of why patients leave treatment," the investigators add. "A major challenge is motivating depressed patients to continue treatment."
J Clin Psychiatry 2005;66:670-676.
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