Follow-up of depressed women after maintenance treatment.
The authors present follow-up results based on 150 women 1 year after maintenance treatment for depression. Maintenance treatment consisted of 8 months of amitriptyline, psychotherapy, or a combination of the two, administered by random assignment following recovery from an acute depressive episode. Approximately 30% of the patients remained in complete remission, 60% experienced recurrence of symptoms, and 12% remained mildly but chronically symptomatic. The implications of these findings for planning care for the ambulatory depressed patient on both an individual and a public health basis are discussed.
D000639:Amitriptyline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D011613:Psychotherapy; D012008:Recurrence; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D013997:Time Factors
D000639:Amitriptyline