MOCLOBEMIDE AND FLUOXETINE IN TREATMENT OF SEASONAL AFFECTIVE-DISORDER

Of a total of 581 consecutive depressed subjects attending psychiatric services of 6 centres in Finland, 183 patients were eligible and comp leted a 6-week randomised double-blind trial with either moclobemide o r fluoxetine. Of these, 32 (17.5%) patients met the DSM-III-R criteria for mood disorder with a seasonal (winter) pattern and 19 patients (1 0.5%) met the original criteria for seasonal affective disorder (SAD). There were no significant difference in the antidepressive response t o the treatment between the patients with SAD and other depressive dis order. The treatment of 6 weeks with either moclobemide (300-450 mg da ily) or fluoxetine (20-40 mg daily) resulted in a full remission in 15 (52%) patients with SAD and in 44 (37%) patients with other depressiv e disorder. Altogether, 23 (79%) and 83 (70%) patients, respectively, got significant benefit from the treatment. The improvement in the hea lth-related quality of life in terms of ability to work was significan tly more extensive in the patients with SAD assigned to receive moclob emide compared with the other depressive patients allocated to the sam e medication. Subjects who in addition met the operational criteria fo r atypical depression were equally distributed into the SAD and other depressive patient groups.