title: Early improvements in anxiety, depression, and anger/hostility symptoms and response to antidepressant treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to examine whether treatment response to fluoxetine by depressed outpatients was predicted by early improvement on any of 3 subscales (Anxiety, Depression, and Anger/Hostility) of the Symptom Questionnaire (SQ).
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated 169 depressed outpatients (52.6% female) between ages 18 and 65 (mean age, 40.3 +/- 10.6 years) meeting DSM-IIIR criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD). All patients completed the SQ at baseline (week 0) and at weeks 2, 4, and 8 of treatment with fluoxetine 20 mg/d. We defined treatment response as a > or= 50% reduction in score on the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, and early improvement on 3 SQ subscales (Anxiety, Depression, and Anger/Hostility) as a >30% reduction in score by week 2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentage of patients with significant early improvement in anger was significantly greater than the percentage of those with early improvements in anxiety or depression. When early improvement on the Anxiety, Depression, and Anger/Hostility subscales of the SQ were assessed independently by logistic regression, all 3 subscales were predictors of response to treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early improvement in anger, anxiety, and depressive symptoms may predict response to antidepressant treatment among outpatients with MDD.
authors.affiliation: Depression Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA USA. farabaugh@partners.org
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Farabaugh
authors.forename: Shamsah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sonawalla
authors.forename: Daniel P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Witte
authors.forename: George I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Papakostas
authors.forename: Tracie
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Goodness
authors.forename: Alisabet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Clain
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baer
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mischoulon
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fava
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Harley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000786:Anger / Q000187:drug effects*; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006791:Hostility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D005473:Fluoxetine