title: Efficacy of antidepressants and benzodiazepines in minor depression: systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Depression is a common condition that has been frequently treated with psychotropics.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To review systematically the evidence of efficacy and acceptability of antidepressant and benzodiazepine treatments for patients with minor depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic review and meta-analysis of double-blind randomised controlled trials comparing antidepressants or benzodiazepines v. placebo in adults with minor depression. Data were obtained from MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycInfo, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register and pharmaceutical company websites. Risk of bias was assessed for the generation of the allocation sequence, allocation concealment, masking, incomplete outcome data, and sponsorship bias.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six studies met inclusion criteria. Three studies compared paroxetine with placebo; fluoxetine, amitriptyline and isocarboxazid were studied in one study each. No studies compared benzodiazepines with placebo. In terms of failures to respond to treatment (6 studies, 234 patients treated with antidepressants and 234 with placebo) no significant difference between antidepressants and placebo was found (relative risk (RR) 0.94, 95% CI 0.81-1.08). In terms of acceptability, data extracted from two studies (93 patients treated with antidepressants and 93 with placebo) showed no statistically significant difference between antidepressants and placebo (RR=1.06, 95% CI 0.65-1.73). There was no statistically significant between-study heterogeneity for any of the reported analyses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is evidence showing there is unlikely to be a clinically important advantage for antidepressants over placebo in individuals with minor depression. For benzodiazepines, no evidence is available, and thus it is not possible to determine their potential therapeutic role in this condition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Section of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, University of Verona, Policlinico GB Rossi, 37134 Verona, Italy. corrado.barbui@univr.it
authors.forename: Corrado
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barbui
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cipriani
authors.forename: Vikram
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ayuso-Mateos
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Ommeren
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010919:Placebos; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D010919:Placebos; D001569:Benzodiazepines