New strategies for treating chronic depression.
This article provides an update on the diagnosis of chronic depression subtypes, the clinical and public health significance of chronic depression, and a review of what is known about its treatment. The efficacy of antidepressant medications for pure dysthymia and double depression has been established, yet fewer than 50% of patients have achieved full remission with a single agent. Traditional antidepressant psychotherapies appear to have limited effectiveness for chronic depression. In one recent study, a combination of cognitive behavioral analysis system of psychotherapy and a newer antidepressant, nefazodone, yielded the highest response and remission rates ever reported in this population (73% response rate, 48% remission rate in an intent-to-treat sample). This combination merits further study for treatment of chronic depression.
New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, USA.
J H
JH
Kocsis
D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002908:Chronic Disease; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D010879:Piperazines; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014230:Triazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D010879:Piperazines; D014230:Triazoles; C051752:nefazodone