title: Double-blind placebo-controlled trial of fluoxetine in adolescents with comorbid major depression and an alcohol use disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study compared the acute phase (12-week) efficacy of fluoxetine versus placebo for the treatment of the depressive symptoms and the drinking of adolescents with comorbid major depression (MDD) and an alcohol use disorder (AUD). We hypothesized that fluoxetine would demonstrate efficacy versus placebo for the treatment of both the depressive symptoms and the drinking of comorbid MDD/AUD adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted the first double-blind placebo-controlled study of fluoxetine in adolescents with comorbid MDD/AUD. All participants in both treatment groups also received intensive manual-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Motivation Enhancement Therapy (MET).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fluoxetine was well tolerated in this treatment population. No significant group-by-time interactions were noted for any depression-related or drinking-related outcome variable. Subjects in both the fluoxetine group and the placebo group showed significant within-group improvement in both depressive symptoms and level of alcohol consumption. End-of-study levels of depression and drinking were low in both treatment groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The lack of a significant between-group difference in depressive symptoms and in drinking may reflect limited medication efficacy, or may result from limited sample size or from efficacy of the CBT/MET psychotherapy. Large multi-site studies are warranted to further clarify the efficacy of SSRI medications in this adolescent MDD/AUD population.
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh PA 15213, USA. corneliusjr@upmc.edu
authors.forename: Jack R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Cornelius
authors.forename: Oscar G
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Bukstein
authors.forename: D Scott
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: Levent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kirisci
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Douaihy
authors.forename: Duncan B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Clark