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An efficacy study of electroconvulsive therapy and antidepressants in the treatment of primary depression

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Sharon Homan ,
Peter A. Lachenbruch ,
George Winokur  and
Paula Clayton
Sharon Homan*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Washington University, St Louis, Missouri, and the Departments of Psychiatry and Preventive Medicine, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
Peter A. Lachenbruch
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Washington University, St Louis, Missouri, and the Departments of Psychiatry and Preventive Medicine, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
George Winokur
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Washington University, St Louis, Missouri, and the Departments of Psychiatry and Preventive Medicine, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
Paula Clayton
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Washington University, St Louis, Missouri, and the Departments of Psychiatry and Preventive Medicine, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr Sharon Homan, Department of Preventive Medicine/Environmental Health, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242, USA.
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Synopsis

At discharge, a significantly larger percentage of unipolar patients treated with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) respond with marked improvement as compared with those receiving antidepressants or other treatment. No treatment appears to be more efficacious in the bipolar group. In studying the covariables related to the length of time between hospitalizations, we found that the type of treatment is not important for the unipolar patient, whereas a combination of ECT and antidepressants lengthens the time to rehospitalization of the bipolar patient. Previous hospitalization is an important predictor variable for all patients.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 12 , Issue 3 , August 1982 , pp. 615 - 624
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1982

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References

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