Antidepressant medication, all by itself, puts depression into remission for 30% of patients, a government-funded study shows.What about the other 70% of people with depression? And how long must the lucky 30% stay on medication? Stay tuned. The study is just starting to get interesting.Unlike nearly every other study of antidepressant medications, this one is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) -- not by the drug industry. It doesn’t just measure small improvements in carefully selected people with depression. This study looks at real patients seeking help from real-world psychiatrists and primary-care doctors. And it plans to continue until nearly every patient fully recovers from depression."We have to increase our expectations from depression treatments,” study co-leader Madhukar H. Trivedi, MD, tells WebMD. “We have to push for full remission as an outcome, because falling short leads to less quality of life, with worsening of symptoms over time."The first results from the 4,000-patient study -- the STAR*D (Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression) study -- appear in the January issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.
