Depression Study
Landmark govt. study examines depression
Depression and ADD commonly occur together in both children and adults. The above link provides newly released information regarding the use of medications to treat depression. Published in the American Journal of Psychiatry Nov issue, this large government funded study on depression reminds us that anti-depressant medications may take time to be effective. It is helpful to note this was not a pharmaceutical company funded study. There were over 3,500 adult patients enrolled in the trial which makes this a more representative sample of what we see in everyday practice. The study concludes that 2/3rds of patients suffering from depression can be helped by medication if they are willing to go through several anti-depressant medication trials and willing to wait long enough for the medication to be effective. The message for all of us is one of patience.
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November 3rd, 2006 at 5:35 pm
How much time should we expect to try?
November 3rd, 2006 at 6:12 pm
Study showed for some patients it was up to 4 different antidepressant medication trials before showing positive response. The authors did not test beyond 4 medications for “non-responders”. Each antidepressant medication trial generally takes at least one month.