Fluoxetine versus placebo in depressed alcoholics: A 1-year follow-up study

The authors conducted a first study to evaluate the long-term efficacy of f luoxetine for decreasing the depressive symptoms and the drinking of patien ts with comorbid major depressive disorder and alcohol dependence. This stu dy consisted of a 1-year naturalistic followup of 31 patients who previousl y had completed a 3-month double-blind, placebo-controlled study of fluoxet ine in depressed alcoholics. The fluoxetine group continued to demonstrate less depressive symptoms and less drinking than the placebo group at the 1- year follow-up evaluation. The results of the 1-year follow-up evaluation s uggest persistent efficacy for fluoxetine for treating the depressive sympt oms and the drinking of depressed alcoholics. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd .