Major depressive disorder is one of the mental disorders most common in young people. Dr Andrea Cipriani of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford (Great Britain) and his team of researchers therefore sought to compare antidepressants to determine which drug may be preferred for the acute treatment of major depressive disorder in patients. children and adolescents.
A study including 5,000 young people aged 9 to 18
“In this meta-analysis, we included trials of amitriptyline, citalopram, clomipramine, desipramine, duloxetine, escitalopram, fluoxetine, imipramine, mirtazapine, nefazodone, nortriptyline, paroxetine, sertraline and venlafaxine ” explains the doctor in his study published in The Lancet.
For this meta-analysis, the researchers looked at 34 studies including more than 5,000 participants aged 9 to 18. They studied both efficiency (changes in depressive symptoms) and tolerability (onset or no side effects) of these 14 antidepressants. They concluded that only one of these drugs, fluoxetine (better known as Prozac) was more effective than a placebo in relieving depression.
They also noted that venlafaxine was linked to a increased risk of attempts or suicidal thoughts even if the risk of suicide from the drugs “unclear due to lack of reliable data” emphasize the authors. Pharmaceutical companies funded 65% of the studies included in the meta-analysis.
The researchers therefore recommend closely monitoring children and adolescents placed on antidepressant treatment, especially at the start of treatment.
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