LONG-TERM TREATMENT OF DOUBLE DEPRESSION - A PRELIMINARY-STUDY WITH SEROTONERGIC ANTIDEPRESSANTS

Hellerstein, David J., Philip Yanowitch, Jesse Rosenthal, Camille Heml ock, Karen Kasch, Lisa Samstag and Arnold Winston: Long-Term Treatment of Double Depression: A Preliminary Study with Serotonergic Antidepre ssants. Prog. Neuro-Psychopharmacol. and Biol. Psychiat. 1994, 18(1) : 139-147. 1. There is increasing evidence that many patients with majo r depression also have coexisting dysthymia, and that antidepressant t reatment may alleviate both conditions. 2. Open-label study of fluoxet ine and trazodone for 18 patients meeting DSM-III-R criteria for concu rrent dysthymia and major depression. 3. Fourteen patients completed t hree-month medication trials, and seven (50%) of completers) responded to treatment. At five months, eight (57.1%) were in remission. Fluoxe tine was significantly better tolerated than trazodone, with respectiv e dropout rates of 7.7% and 80%. 4. Findings are consistent with effic acy of serotonergic agents in this condition.