The impact of antidepressant use on social functioning: reboxetine versus fluoxetine

Depression compromises affected individuals' functional well-being and impa irs their level of social and workplace performance. Improved social functi oning in depressed patients may improve their work productivity. This study evaluated the differential effects of two antidepressants on social functi oning outcomes for patients with major depression comparing reboxetine, a n on-tricyclic, selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor and fluoxetine, a commonly prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. A model using d ata from 284 depressed patients (138 reboxetine, 146 fluoxetine) in two 8-w eek clinical trials was developed to predict the percentage change over tim e in continuous outcome assessments as measured by a 21-item self-rating sc ale called the Social Adaptation Self-evaluation Scale (SASS). The percenta ge change from baseline SASS score was modelled as a function of both time- invariant and time-varying covariates. Results suggest that, by mid-study, the more severely ill subjects benefitted more from reboxetine treatment in terms of the outcome improvement rate and, by study-end, this effect also extended into the less severely ill population. In addition, a significant relationship was identified between the change in depression symptom severi ty as measured by the standard Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score and t he change in social functioning per the SASS. (C) 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.