Treat Teens with Combo Therapy
March 3rd, 2008 Posted by: Dr. Cox
(Ivanhoe Newswire) –Teenagers suffering from depression who do not respond well to their first antidepressant may have a viable treatment option.
Results of a large study conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health reveal teens who do not respond to a first antidepressant are more likely to respond to combination therapy — another antidepressant and psychotherapy.
Researchers observed 334 depressed teens who did not respond to treatment with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) — paroxetine (Paxil), citalopram (Celexa) or fluoxetine (Prozac) — alone for more than two months. They report 55 percent of teens who switched from their current medication to a different SSRI plus cognitive behavioral therapy responded to treatment.
âAbout 40 percent of adolescents with depression do not adequately respond to a first treatment course with an antidepressant medication, and clinicians have no solid guidelines on how to choose subsequent treatments for these patients,â said NIMH Director Thomas R. Insel, M.D. âThe results from [this study] bring us closer to personalizing treatment for teens who have chronic and difficult-to-treat depression.â
Researchers add venlafaxine (Effexor) — another type of antidepressant called a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) — was associated with more adverse effects than other medications, such as skin infections and cardiovascular side effects. Authors recommend doctors explore other treatment options with SSRIs before prescribing the drug.
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SOURCE: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 2008;299:901-913