The treatment effectiveness project. A comparison of the effectiveness of paroxetine, problem-solving therapy, and placebo in the treatment of minor depression and dysthymia in primary care patients: Background and research plan

This report describes the background, rationale, and research plan for a co mparative treatment trial of the effectiveness of paroxetine, problem-solvi ng therapy (PST-PC), and placebo in the treatment of minor depression and d ysthymia in primary care patients. Patients were recruited from a variety o f primary care practice settings in Jour separate geographic locations (Han over, New Hampshire; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; San Antonio, Texas; and Seat tle, Washington). Patients were randomly assigned to each of the three inte rvention conditions the medication/placebo conditions were double-blinded. The treatment trial was II weeks, with independent assessments of patient c linical status at baseline, 6 weeks, and II weeks. There was a follow-up at 25 weeks. Since there are relatively few placebo-controlled trials in prim ary care settings on patients with these disorders, the background of this project and a description of it are presented at ellis time, prior to the a valiability of outcome data, to proving methodological detail and to increa se awareness in Nle research community of this treatment trial, with result s to appear subsequently. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.