Register for SMI Adviser’s freewebinar: “Long-Term Antidepressant Treatment: Let’s Look at the Evidence” onThursday, March 26, 2020, from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. ET
What Will It Cover?
People who experience a major depressive episode have at least a 50% chance of having one more episode during their lifetime. If they have had three or more episodes, then they have a 90% chance of another episode. Fortunately, maintenance treatment with antidepressants can lower the risk substantially and have been found superior to placebo substitution in almost all of the long-term studies. Nevertheless, many questions remain:
- Should one take an antidepressant forever?
- What are the risks of long-term antidepressant treatment?
- Can people take drug holidays (periods of time without antidepressants)?
- If someone had a difficult to treat depression which responded to a combination of an antidepressant and antipsychotic, should they continue to take both medications?
- What happens if someone is taking long-term antidepressant treatment and then they have another depressive episode?
- What is the role of psychotherapy in preventing another episode?
- Can people stop their medication if psychotherapy seems to work?
This webinar will address these questions and review the data, so that participants can make informed decisions about long-term antidepressant treatment.
Who Will Be Presenting?
Andrew Nierenberg, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital