Questionnaire survey on the prescribing practice of Japanese psychiatristsfor mood disorders

The answers to a questionnaire on the practical prescription in mood disord ers from 298 Japanese psychiatrists was obtained. As the first-line treatme nt, a majority of respondents chose newer tricyclic agents (TCA) or non-TCA for moderate depression and older TCA for severe depression both with and without psychotic features. Combination therapy with antidepressants and an xiolytics was fairly popular in moderate depression, while antidepressant/n euroleptic combination was more common in severe psychotic depression. Sulp iride was the most favored drug for dysthymia. Although lithium was the mos t popular for bipolar mania, respondents were divided on the treatment of b ipolar depression.