The British Journal of Psychiatry (2008) 193: 163-164. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.107.045708
© 2008 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Data supplement
Right arrow Submit an eLetter
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Holma, I. A. K.
Right arrow Articles by Isometsä, E. T.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Holma, I. A. K.
Right arrow Articles by Isometsä, E. T.

SHORT REPORTS

Maintenance pharmacotherapy for recurrent major depressive disorder: 5-year follow-up study

Irina A. K. Holma, MD and K. Mikael Holma, MD

Department of Mental Health and Alcohol Research, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki

Tarja K. Melartin, MD, PhD

Department of Mental Health and Alcohol Research, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, and Department of Psychiatry, HUCH, Peijas Hospital, Health Care District of Helsinki and Uusimaa, Vantaa

Erkki T. Isometsä, MD, PhD

Department of Mental Health and Alcohol Research, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, and Department of Psychiatry, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

Correspondence: Erkki T. Isometsä, MD, PhD, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, P.O. Box 22 (Välskärinkatu 12 A), 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland. Email: erkki.isometsa{at}hus.fi

Declaration of interest

None. Funding detailed in Acknowledgements.

Practice guidelines endorse maintenance antidepressant treatment for recurrent major depressive disorder. In the Vantaa Depression Study, we followed 218 psychiatric patients with major depressive disorder for up to 5 years with a life-chart. Of these patients, 86 (39.4%) had more than three lifetime episodes and an indication for maintenance pharmacotherapy. However, of these, only 57% received treatment and only for 16% of the time indicated. Good adherence to pharmacotherapy in the acute phase independently predicted maintenance treatment. The tertiary preventive impact of maintenance treatment may remain limited, as many patients with major depressive disorder either do not receive it, or receive it for too short a period.