One year clinical and psychosocial outcomes of early-onset chronic depression.
BACKGROUND
Results from short-term treatment studies have demonstrated the efficacy of antidepressant medications for outpatients with early-onset chronic depression. However, scant data exists regarding the long-term outcome of these patients treated for this disorder.


METHODS
The author conducted a one-year naturalistic follow-up study of 50 outpatients with early-onset, chronic depression, who were treated in a university-based psychopharmacology research clinic. Assessments were conducted blind to the patients' histories.


RESULTS
Forty-eight percent of the total sample reported 9-12 months of sustained euthymia (Months Well). Among the patients who recovered, 50% relapsed.


CONCLUSIONS
The major limitations of this study were its small sample size and lack of a comparison group.


CONCLUSIONS
These results data demonstrate that despite initial response, many outpatients with chronic depression seem to relapse after leaving university-based psychopharmacology centers.
New York State Psychiatric Institute, and The Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York City 10032, USA. agostiv@pi.cpmc.columbia.edu
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Agosti
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007099:Imipramine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012944:Social Support; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D005473:Fluoxetine; D007099:Imipramine; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors