Am J Psychiatry 1976; 133:757-760
Copyright © 1976 by American Psychiatric Association
Follow-up of depressed women after maintenance treatment
MM Weissman, SV Kasl and GL Klerman
The authors present follow-up results based on 150 women 1 year after
maintenance treatment for depression. Maintenance treatment consisted of 8
months of amitriptyline, psychotherapy, or a combination of the two,
administered by random assignment following recovery from an acute
depressive episode. Approximately 30% of the patients remained in complete
remission, 60% experienced recurrence of symptoms, and 12% remained mildly
but chronically symptomatic. The implications of these findings for
planning care for the ambulatory depressed patient on both an individual
and a public health basis are discussed.
