Antidepressants: Best for Severe Depression?

Jan. 5, 2010 -- Some antidepressants may work best for people with very
severe depression, according to a new analysis, but may provide little or no
benefit over placebo for those with mild, moderate, or severe depression.
''For patients with very severe depression, the medication did have a potent
effect compared to placebo," says Jay C. Fournier, a psychology graduate
student at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and  lead author
of the analysis, published in the Journal of the American Medical
Association.
But, he says, ''the effects of the active ingredients of the medication were
pretty small or nonexistent for patients with mild or moderate depression or
even into the severe range."
However, the analysis only looked at two antidepressants.



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http://www .webmd.com/depression/news/20100105/antidepressants-best-for-severe-depression?src=RSS_PUBLIC