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Two-Thirds of Depressed Patients Curable in One to Four Treatment Steps

A study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) shows that more than two-thirds of patients can be relieved of depression if they work with doctors to try several medications and/or therapies until they find the best treatment for them.

The study followed more than 3600 patients being treated for depression. All patients initially received the same antidepressant, but those who did not respond or who could not tolerate it moved on to subsequent treatments including cognitive behavioral therapy with or without medication or other antidepressants.

Researchers found that 37 percent of patients' symptoms went into remission with the first treatment, 31 percent with the second and 14 and 13 percent with the third and fourth treatments, respectively. After one year, the overall remission rate for patients in the study was 67 percent.

Said researcher Dr. A. John Rush:

"The take-home message for patients is to hang in there and stay in treatment, even if several steps and various medications must be tried...Collaborate with your physician to find the right medication and dosage for you, and stay on it long enough to give it a chance to work."