The efficacy of ECT in double depression

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Evidence for the efficacy of antidepressant medications in populations with chronic or double depression has been encouraging. However, the efficacy of ECT in double depression has not been examined previously. One hundred patients met the Research Diagnostic Criteria for major depression; 75 patients had major depression only and 25 had major depression superimposed on intermittent or minor depression (double depression). Short‐term clinical response to ECT and relapse rates were compared in the two groups. Overall, patients with double depression were as likely to respond to ECT as patients with major depression only and both groups showed the same percentage change in symptoms. This suggested that ECT was effective in the acute treatment of the double depressed. Symptom severity at baseline was unrelated to ECT outcome among patients with major depression alone. In contrast, double depressed patients who responded to ECT had particularly severe baseline symptomatology. However, double depressed responders had more residual symptoms immediately and one week following the ECT course compared to ECT responders with major depression only. There also were indications that relapse during the year following ECT was more likely in the double depressed. In general, these findings regarding the short‐term and long‐term efficacy of ECT in double depression parallel those reported for antidepressant medications. Depression 1:38–44 (1993).

This publication has 17 references indexed in Scilit: