Indications for and outcome of antidepressant medication in a general population: a prescription database and medical record study, in Jämtland county, Sweden, 1995.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the indications for prescribing antidepressants and the clinical outcome when they are prescribed for the treatment of depression, and compare tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in these respects.


METHODS
A naturalistic study of a prospective prescription monitoring database and medical records.


RESULTS
Depression was the indication for 23% of the tricyclic treatments and for 82% of the SSRI treatments. A successful treatment of the depression was found in 20% of the TCA cases and 41% of the SSRI cases (NS).


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides evidence that the main use of SSRIs in 1995 is the treatment of depression. The study implies that SSRIs have a more favourable outcome in "real life" than TCAs.
Henriksson
S
S
NEUROTEC, Division of Psychiatry, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge University Hospital, S-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden. svante.henriksson@neurotec.ki.se
Boëthius
G
G
Håkansson
J
J
Isacsson
G
G
D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003628:Database Management Systems; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D011153:Population; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors