Many people who take antidepressant medications stop taking them after only a short time. Doctors have long known this, because the people stop coming for appointments. Recent research (1) confirms this — 42% stop taking their medication for depression within the first 30 days. You know what else happens in that first 30 days? Medication side effects. You know what usually doesn’t happen in those first 30 days? Relief from depressive symptoms.
Not surpisingly, folks who were in psychotherapy were far more likely to continue on their medications than those who were not receiving psychotherapy. This again confirms the benefits of combined treatment for depression — psychotherapy + medication = best treatment. If you’re not in psychotherapy (or haven’t even considered it), now’s the time to rethink that.
Another study (2) shows that 47% of people who take an SSRI antidepressant medication receive a reduction of more than 50% of the severity of their symptoms at or after 8 weeks of treatment. This means mainly that antidepressant treatment takes time, just like psychotherapy. Usually more than 8 weeks. I know a lot of people don’t have patience, yet patience is exactly what is required when seeking treatment for depression.
1. Continuity of Antidepressant Treatment for Adults With Depression in the United States
American Journal of Psychiatry 163:101-108, January 2006.
2. Evaluation of Outcomes With Citalopram for Depression Using Measurement-Based Care in STAR*D: Implications for Clinical Practice
American Journal of Psychiatry 163:28-40, January 2006.
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One Comment to
“Depression and Antidepressants”
As a clinician I am aware of the pitfalls of treating depression. Discussing side effects prior to prescribing and setting a realistic timeline of recovery with patients increases compliance. It’s not just the medications that determine a patient’s success at beating depression, it’s also the patient’s physiology. Some patients get early and resilient benefits of antidepressant medication. They just work better in some patients. Some patients on the other hand only seem to get the side effects without benefits. Patients as a group are not homogeneous with different biologies, personality traits, psychosocial factors etc. Psychotherapy by itself can’t claim much better results. The best results are probably achieved by combining good counselling and prescribing with psychotherapy. When determining success however one needs to be aware of the end points.
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Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 21 Mar 2006
