Study on anti-depressants suggests relapse may not happen after stopping medication

A UK study suggests that many people who have been taking antidepressants for at least two years may be able to stop without relapsing, but the majority will still require long-term treatment. Prescriptions for the medications have more than doubled in the last 15 years, owing to the fact that people are using them for longer periods of time.

An editorial published alongside the findings in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday advises that for some people who have had multiple bouts, lifelong medication may be recommended. Counselling and behaviour therapy are also possibilities for individuals who want to quit using antidepressants.

A small percentage of British patients received any type of psychiatric care

In the government-funded study, only a small percentage of British patients received any type of psychiatric care. According to Gemma Lewis, the study's lead author and a researcher at University College London, primary care doctors treated the patients in the study for depression, which is common in the United Kingdom. According to the World Health Organization, depression affects roughly 5% of adults globally. Although reported rates are slightly lower in the United Kingdom and slightly higher in the United States, Lewis noted that comparisons between nations are problematic due to differences in how depression is measured.

The study involved 478 patients, majority of whom were middle-aged white women, in four locations across England. All of them were on a type of antidepressant known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which include pharmaceuticals like Prozac and Zoloft. Half of the participants were randomly allocated to progressively stop taking the medicines, while the other half did not stop. It's unclear whether similar outcomes would be found in patients taking other antidepressants. While 56 per cent of patients who stopped taking their medicine relapsed during the trial, Lewis stressed that the majority of those who stayed on their antidepressants did not.

The study is 'important but disappointing'

Dr Jeffrey Jackson of Milwaukee's Veterans Affairs Medical Center, who wrote the editorial, termed the study's findings 'important but disappointing.' However, he advises that some patients could be able to stop using antidepressants. According to him, he encourages patients with a single episode of depression, particularly those caused by a life event such as the death of a loved one, to consider tapering antidepressant therapy after at least six months of remission.

(Inputs from AP News)

Image: Unsplash/@Adam Nieścioruk