Depression Study: Good and Bad News

A new study (link may require fee/registration) on depression (START*D) has found that by sticking with therapy, approximately 2/3rds of patients will achieve remission of their depression. Unfortunately, the picture is not so bright for the 1/3rd who require additional treatments as they had sharply lower rates of success.

Is this good or bad news compared with previous studies? As with many things it depends on your perspective. The good news is that "patients who do not respond to one type of antidepressant can still benefit from a different drug of the same class, and don't immediately need to be switched to a drug with a wholly different method of action. Persisting in treatment was found to be key."

The study showed that 36.8% of patients went into remission after trying their first treatment and of those remaining 30.6% found relief with their second treatment.

Unfortunately, those that are left are considered "hard-to-treat" and have a high-rate of relapse. And for them? According to A. John Rush of University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas:

"With treatment-resistant depression, the kinds of treatments these people may need may be different than what we have right now."

If you are one of the treatment-resistant people then hearing that your cure may yet-to-be-discovered might be considered a body-blow. However keep in mind that this is all an inexact science. People who weren't cured on the third treatment have found success on the forth. Neither patients nor family members should ever give up.