Maintenance or discontinuation of antidepressants for depression? Findings from the ANTLER trial

For every 6 people stopping their medication there was one additional relapse compared to those who maintained their antidepressant treatment, suggesting that stopping medication has an increased risk of relapse.

Raphael Rifkin-Zybutz and Sameer Jauhar summarise the recently published ANTLER trial, which explores whether antidepressant maintenance can reduce the risk of relapse in depression.

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In adults with major depression, antidepressants may increase the risk of suicide

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Douglas Badenoch explores a meta-analysis of follow-up data from clinical trials of antidepressants, which found a small but significant increase in suicide risk.

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SSRIs and suicidality: effects of SSRIs on rating-scale-assessed suicidality in adults with depression

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Rina Dutta and Patrick McLaughlin summarise a new study looking at the effects of SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) on rating-scale-assessed suicidality in adults with depression.

This study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry supports the conclusion that SSRIs remain a safe and effective treatment in depression for those aged 18 and over.

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Antidepressants for depression in schizophrenia: when good-enough evidence is good enough

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Carmine Pariante is positive about a recent systematic review and meta-analysis of antidepressants for the treatment of depression in schizophrenia.

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Time to stop prescribing antidepressants to young people with depression?

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Andrew Shepherd considers the implications of a recent network meta-analysis of the efficacy and tolerability of antidepressants for children and adolescents with depression.

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Adding antidepressants to antipsychotics in schizophrenia: do they work, for what, and are they safe?

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Alex Langford explores the emerging findings from a recent meta-analysis looking at the efficacy and safety of antidepressants added to antipsychotics for people with schizophrenia and schizophrenia-like psychosis.

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Can a machine learning approach help us predict what specific treatments work best for individuals with depression?

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Marcus Munafo explores a recent study that uses a machine learning approach across two trials (STARD*D and CO-MED) to try and predict treatment outcomes (primarily focusing on the antidepressant citalopram) for depression.

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Combined methylphenidate and citalopram may help older people with depression recover faster

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Lisa Burscheidt summarises a recent randomised controlled trial of combined methylphenidate and citalopram for depression in older people, which presents promising but limited findings.

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CBT is more cost-effective than SSRI alone as treatment for panic disorder

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In addition to its impact on quality of life, panic disorder can have a number of costly consequences such as lost productivity – particularly if also associated with agoraphobia. Cost-effectiveness is therefore an important consideration in choosing the optimal treatment for panic disorder, which might improve value via the cost side of the equation. A recent [read the full story…]