July/2006

ANSWER 12 =B

DISCUSSION:  

Current evidence indicates no clear relationship between SSRIs and increased suicide in adults; however, SSRIs and tricyclic antidepressants may induce or worsen suicidal ideation and behavior during the early phases of treatment. One systematic review showed that SSRIs were associated with fewer adverse effects than tricyclic antidepressants, but the difference was small. Three systematic reviews showed no significant difference in outcomes with different kinds of antidepressant drugs, although one systematic review showed that SSRIs were less effective than venlafaxine in increasing the proportion of persons who responded. Three systematic reviews including younger and older adults with mild to moderate depression showed that psychological therapies (mainly interpersonal psychotherapy and cognitive therapy) increased the proportion of persons whose depression was in remission over 10 to 34 weeks compared with control (i.e., usual care, usual care plus a placebo pill, or supportive therapy).