title: Problems in the Descriptions of the Psychiatric Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria in Publications of Antidepressant Efficacy Trials: A Qualitative Review and Recommendations for Improved Clarity.
abstract: We recently conducted a comprehensive review of the psychiatric inclusion and exclusion criteria used in 170 placebo-controlled antidepressant efficacy trials (AETs) that were published between 1995 and 2014. In conducting this literature review, we identified a number of instances in which the descriptions of the inclusion/exclusion criteria were vague, redundant, or difficult to interpret. In the present article, we describe nine problems we encountered in our literature review. We recommend that future publications follow the examples found in a few studies in which the inclusion/exclusion criteria are clearly defined and listed in a table.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown Medical School, Rhode Island Hospital, 146 West River Street, Providence, RI, 02904, USA. mzimmerman@lifespan.org.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zimmerman
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown Medical School, Rhode Island Hospital, 146 West River Street, Providence, RI, 02904, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Multach
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown Medical School, Rhode Island Hospital, 146 West River Street, Providence, RI, 02904, USA.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown Medical School, Rhode Island Hospital, 146 West River Street, Providence, RI, 02904, USA.
authors.forename: Lia K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Rosenstein
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown Medical School, Rhode Island Hospital, 146 West River Street, Providence, RI, 02904, USA.
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gazarian
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown Medical School, Rhode Island Hospital, 146 West River Street, Providence, RI, 02904, USA.
authors.forename: Heather L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Clark
mesh_terms: D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents
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