TY - JOUR
T1 - Imipramine Treatment for Chronic Depression
AU - Kocsis, J. H.
AU - Frances, A. J.
AU - Voss, C.
AU - Mann, J. J.
AU - Mason, B. J.
AU - Sweeney, J.
N1 - Funding Information:
ofMentalHealth.Thisstudywassupportedby grant MH 37103 from the National Institute
PY - 1988/3
Y1 - 1988/3
N2 - Antidepressant drugs in the treatment of chronic depressions have received little systematic study. We used a two-week, single-blind placebo washout followed by a six-week, double-blind comparison of imipramine hydrochloride and placebo in a sample of 76 outpatients with DSM-III dysthymic disorder entered into a trial at two centers. Subjects were preponderantly female, had insidious onset at an early age, and had depressions of moderate severity; 96% also met the DSM-III criteria for major depressive disorder at the time of presentation. Sixty percent had a history of persistent depressive symptoms sufficient to meet criteria for major depression for longer than two years. Markedly favorable responses occurred in 45% of imipramine-treated (n = 29) and 12% of placebo-treated (n = 25) patients and, respectively, 59% and 13% of those who completed the study. Imipramine produced significant advantage in measures of depressive symptoms, global severity of illness, and self-rated social and vocational function. Recovered patients experienced remission from both long-standing symptoms and deficits as well as more recently exacerbated aspects of their syndrome. Patients with pure dysthymic disorder of a mild, subsyndromal type were uncommon in these clinical settings. However, anti-depressant medication was effective for many moderately severe chronic depressions, which had previously been untreated or undertreated, presumably related to misdiagnosis.
AB - Antidepressant drugs in the treatment of chronic depressions have received little systematic study. We used a two-week, single-blind placebo washout followed by a six-week, double-blind comparison of imipramine hydrochloride and placebo in a sample of 76 outpatients with DSM-III dysthymic disorder entered into a trial at two centers. Subjects were preponderantly female, had insidious onset at an early age, and had depressions of moderate severity; 96% also met the DSM-III criteria for major depressive disorder at the time of presentation. Sixty percent had a history of persistent depressive symptoms sufficient to meet criteria for major depression for longer than two years. Markedly favorable responses occurred in 45% of imipramine-treated (n = 29) and 12% of placebo-treated (n = 25) patients and, respectively, 59% and 13% of those who completed the study. Imipramine produced significant advantage in measures of depressive symptoms, global severity of illness, and self-rated social and vocational function. Recovered patients experienced remission from both long-standing symptoms and deficits as well as more recently exacerbated aspects of their syndrome. Patients with pure dysthymic disorder of a mild, subsyndromal type were uncommon in these clinical settings. However, anti-depressant medication was effective for many moderately severe chronic depressions, which had previously been untreated or undertreated, presumably related to misdiagnosis.
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U2 - 10.1001/archpsyc.1988.01800270071008
DO - 10.1001/archpsyc.1988.01800270071008
M3 - Article
C2 - 3277579
AN - SCOPUS:0023903599
SN - 0003-990X
VL - 45
SP - 253
EP - 257
JO - Archives of General Psychiatry
JF - Archives of General Psychiatry
IS - 3
ER -