RESEARCH - Antidepressants: best for severe depression?

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Antidepressants: Best for Severe Depression?

New Analysis Finds 2 Antidepressants Offer Little Benefit for Less

Severe Depression

By Kathleen Doheny

WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Jan. 5, 2010 -- Some antidepressants may work best for people with

very severe depression, according to a new analysis, but may provide

little or no benefit over placebo for those with mild, moderate, or

severe depression.

''For patients with very severe depression, the medication did have a

potent effect compared to placebo, " says Jay C. Fournier, a psychology

graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and

lead author of the analysis, published in the Journal of the American

Medical Association.

But, he says, ''the effects of the active ingredients of the

medication were pretty small or nonexistent for patients with mild or

moderate depression or even into the severe range. "

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Read the full article here:

http://www.webmd.com/depression/news/20100105/antidepressants-best-for-severe-de\

pression

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