Antidepressant combinations: epidemiological considerations.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the treatment options in patients who do not respond appropriately to a single antidepressant alone.


METHODS
The medical literature was reviewed.


RESULTS
A number of strategies are available if a patient fails to respond adequately to initial antidepressant treatment, including the combination with another psychoactive drug. Evidence published to date appears to suggest that benzodiazepines are the drugs most frequently combined with antidepressants. The combination of two antidepressants together is less common, occurring in approximately 5-15% of cases showing a poor initial response. The key figures involved in such co-prescription are psychiatrists.


CONCLUSIONS
There appears to be considerable variability in the data concerning combined prescription of antidepressants, with differences arising depending on the type of physician, the type of patient or illness and the geographical area. It is also unclear how closely research findings parallel with what doctors do in everyday practice.
Agüera
L F
LF
Hospital Universitario12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain. laguera@jet.es
Rojo
J E
JE
Ros
S
S
de la Gándara
J
J
de Pedro
J M
JM
D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004363:Drug Utilization; D006801:Humans; D017891:Pharmacoepidemiology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012107:Research Design
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D001569:Benzodiazepines