Antidepressant in Menopausal Women with Major Depression

Research results published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatryshow that the antidepressant Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) is effective in alleviating the symptoms of major depression in both peri- and post-menopausal women.

"It's really an assumption to say that because an antidepressant works for depression in general that it works for depression related to reproductive events," said lead researcher Susan G. Kornstein, MD, professor of psychiatry and obstetrics/gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine. "This is the first large study testing the effectiveness of an antidepressant specifically in peri- and postmenopausal women with depression."

For the study, Kornstein and colleagues evaluated the ability of Pristiq to alleviate major depression in 387 peri- and post-menopausal women from 37 outpatient sites in the US. Participants were randomized to Pristiq 100mg, Pristiq 200mg, or placebo for 8 weeks.

Using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and other psychological tests, the team found response rates of 58.6% and 38.2% for those who took Pristiq and placebo, respectively.

For More:

• Release from VCU
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• Universal Prevention of Depression in Women Postnatally: Cluster Randomized Trial Evidence in Primary Care