MedWire (5/17, Davenport) reported, “Antidepressants are frequently used to treat bipolar disorder depression, typically in more severe cases, which may underlie the poorer responses and high rates of mood switching in patients given antidepressants,” according to astudy published in the June issue of the Journal of Affective Disorders. In “290 adult bipolar disorder patients in a major depressive episode,” researchers found that by eight weeks, “just 64.4% of antidepressant-treated patients experienced a treatment response, defined as 50% or greater recovery, compared with 82.1% of controls. Patients not given antidepressants were less likely to experience a mood switch than treated patients (78.6 vs 38.6%).”
Related Links:
— “Antidepressant impact in bipolar depression masked by use in severe cases,”Liam Davenport, MedWire News, May 17, 2012.