Antidepressant drug effects and depression severity: a patient-level meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Context

Antidepressant medications represent the best established treatment for major depressive disorder, but there is little evidence that they have a specific pharmacological effect relative to pill placebo for patients with less severe depression.

Objective

To estimate the relative benefit of medication vs placebo across a wide range of initial symptom severity in patients diagnosed with depression.

Data sources

PubMed, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library databases were searched from January 1980 through March 2009, along with references from meta-analyses and reviews.

Study selection

Randomized placebo-controlled trials of antidepressants approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the treatment of major or minor depressive disorder were selected. Studi

SUBMITTER: Fournier JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3712503 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature