Perseverance Key To Treating Depression
Carefully monitored treatment can help two-thirds of those who suffer from depression from HealthOrbit, Inc.
The six year Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression(STAR*D) study of 3,671 patients treated in real-world settings, demonstrates that “more than two-thirds of those suffering from major depression can become symptom-free if they work with their doctors and try various treatments to determine which work best for them.”
Remission was reached by
- 37% after the first treatment step
- 31% after the second treatment step
- 14% after the third treatment step
- 13% after the fourth treatment step
Commentary
The finding that many patients require more than a single trial on a medication for successful treatment of depression is congruent with the clinical experience of most of us in the field. The message here is that compliance is vital, not only to assure that the patient has the best chance for his or her medication to work as it should but also to provide accurate data to determine that treatment failures are the result of ineffective agents rather than ineffective administration.
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