Long-Term Antidepressant Treatment: Let's Look at the Evidence-Lecture Presentation

Video Transcription

Video Summary

In this video, Dr. Andrew Nierenberg discusses the long-term treatment of depression and the risk of relapse and recurrence. He highlights the need for ongoing treatment for patients with major depressive disorder and emphasizes the importance of medication maintenance. Dr. Nierenberg presents various studies and data on different treatment approaches, including antidepressants, psychotherapy, and other interventions like ketamine and transcranial magnetic stimulation. Overall, he concludes that while no treatment is perfect, antidepressant medications have been shown to be twice as effective as placebo in preventing relapse or recurrence of depression. He also discusses the challenges of treatment duration and determining when to stop or continue treatment for individual patients. Dr. Nierenberg suggests that certain subpopulations may require longer-term treatment due to the risk of relapse and inconsistencies in response to treatment. Psychotherapy, especially cognitive-behavioral therapy, can also be beneficial in preventing depressive episodes. He concludes by acknowledging the ongoing research and uncertainties in long-term treatment for depression and opens the floor for questions. This video was part of the SMI Advisor webinar series, organized by the American Psychiatric Association and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Keywords

depression

relapse

medication

psychotherapy

treatment duration

subpopulations

cognitive-behavioral therapy