Fluoxetine in adolescents with major depression and an alcohol use disorder: An open-label trial

Recently, a first placebo-controlled study of an selective serotonin reupta ke inhibitor (SSRI) medication was conducted among a sample of adolescents with major depression by Emslie et al. [Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 54 (1997) 103 1.]. That study demonstrated efficacy for fluoxetine vs. placebo for treati ng adolescents with major depression. However, to date, no studies have bee n conducted to assess the efficacy of fluoxetine or any other SSRI medicati on in adolescents with major depression in combination with an alcohol use disorder (AUD). In this study, the authors investigated whether fluoxetine decreases the depressive symptoms and the drinking of adolescents with como rbid major depression and an AUD. The authors conducted a 12-week open-labe l study of fluoxetine (20 mg) in 13 adolescents with current comorbid major depression and an AUD. A significant within-group decrease (improvement) w as found for both depressive symptoms and drinking during the course of the study. The fluoxetine was well tolerated during the study. These data sugg est promise for fluoxetine for decreasing both the depressive symptoms and the drinking of adolescents with comorbid major depression and an AUD. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.