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Maintenance pharmacotherapy of unipolar depression

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Som Forshall  and
David J. Nutt
Som Forshall*
Affiliation:
School of Medical Sciences, University of Bristol BS8 1TD
David J. Nutt
Affiliation:
School of Medical Sciences, University of Bristol BS8 1TD
*
∗Correspondence
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Abstract

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Aims and methods

The purpose of this paper is to review current evidence and opinion with regard to the long-term treatment of unipolar depression. The method employed was a Psychlit search using the search items long-term, maintenance, treatment and depression.

Results

The search yielded 91 articles.

Clinical implications

Unipolar depression is frequently recurrent and sometimes a chronic illness. The paper identifies those at greatest risk of recurrence. It goes on to examine strategies to prevent relapse and for prophylactic treatment. It concludes that continuation treatment should be sustained at full dose for 4–6 months after full remission of symptoms. Where depression is highly recurrent the acute phase dose should be maintained in the long-term.

Type
Drug information quarterly
Information
Psychiatric Bulletin , Volume 23 , Issue 6 , June 1999 , pp. 370 - 373
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © 1999 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

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