One-year outcome with antidepressant – treatment of bipolar depression

Authors: Joffe, R. T.¹; MacQueen, G. M.²; Marriott, M.²; Young, L. T.³

Source: Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, Volume 112, Number 2, August 2005 , pp. 105-109(5)

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Abstract:

Joffe RT, MacQueen GM, Marriott M, Young LT. One-year outcome with antidepressant – treatment of bipolar depression.

To examine the risk of relapse into mania or depression with varying duration of antidepressant treatment in a cohort of 59 patients with bipolar disorder. Method:

An open naturalistic evaluation using life charting methods of patients with 1 year follow-up, who responded to antidepressant treatment and who then less or more than 6 months of antidepressant treatment. Results:

Patients who received more than 6 months of antidepressant treatment were less likely to relapse into depression at follow-up of 1 year. There was no difference in relapse rates for mania in the different antidepressant treatment duration groups. Gender and bipolar subtype did not significantly affect relapse rates for depression or mania. Conclusion:

Our data, taken with other studies, suggest that the duration of optimal antidepressant treatment in bipolar disorder must be further evaluated.

Keywords: bipolar disorder; antidepressants; relapse

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0447.2005.00583.x

Affiliations: 1: Department of Psychiatry, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA 2: Department of Psychiatry, McMaster University, Hamilton 3: Center for Addiction and Mental Health, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Publication date: 2005-08-01