title: Times to Discontinue Antidepressants Over 6 Months in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to investigate differences in discontinuation time among antidepressants and total antidepressant discontinuation rate of patients with depression over a 6 month period in a naturalistic treatment setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed the medical records of 900 patients with major depressive disorder who were initially prescribed only one kind of antidepressant. The prescribed antidepressants and the reasons for discontinuation were surveyed at baseline and every 4 weeks during the 24 week study. We investigated the discontinuation rate and the mean time to discontinuation among six antidepressants groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean and median overall discontinuation times were 13.8 and 12 weeks, respectively. Sertraline and escitalopram had longer discontinuation times than that of fluoxetine, and patients who used sertraline discontinued use significantly later than those taking mirtazapine. No differences in discontinuation rate were observed after 24 weeks among these antidepressants. About 73% of patients discontinued antidepressant treatment after 24 weeks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sertraline and escitalopram tended to have longer mean times to discontinuation, although no difference in discontinuation rate was detected between antidepressants after 24 weeks. About three-quarters of patients discontinued antidepressant maintenance therapy after 24 weeks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Woo-Young
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Bongseng Memorial Hospital, Busan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sae-Heon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Republic of Korea.; Department of Psychiatry, Pusan National University College of Medicine, Busan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Gon
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Bongseng Memorial Hospital, Busan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Myo
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Jae
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Inje University Paik Hospital, Busan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Bo-Geum
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Kosin University Gospel Hospital, Busan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ho-Chan
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Dong-A University Medical Center, Busan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Byeong-Moo
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Choe
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Maryknoll Medical Center, Busan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong-Gee
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Choong-Rak
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: Antidepressant; Discontinuation; Escitalopram; Major depressive disorder; Sertraline