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The Carlat Psychiatry Report

The Latest on Antidepressants (October) | 2009

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Which Antidepressant to Choose?

October 1, 2009

There is a strange disconnect between what we psychiatrists do in daily practice and what official antidepressant treatment guidelines recommend. Treatment guidelines typically say, essentially, that all antidepressants are equal in efficacy, but real psychiatrists have strong personal preferences, based on some combination of the scientific literature, the advice of experts, our clinical experience, and perhaps even the personalities of the last drug reps we saw in the office. Read More

Pristiq: An Update

October 1, 2009

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine extendedrelease tablet) was approved by the FDA in February of 2008 for the treatment of major depression. Read More

Chamomile May Be Effective for GAD

October 1, 2009

Everybody knows that chamomile tea is calming, or at least is supposed to be. But it had never been tested in a placebo controlled study, until now. A recent trial compared chamomile capsules to placebo in the treatment of 57 patients with mild to moderate generalized anxiety disorder. Read More

Understanding Antidepressant Research

October 1, 2009

Erick Turner, MD

Dr. Turner and his colleagues published a paper entitled “Selective Publication of Antidepressant Trials and Its Influence on Apparent Efficacy.” It caused quite a stir in the field. Here, he explains his findings. Read More

Long-Term Outcomes of Adolescent Depression Treatment

October 1, 2009

The treatment of adolescent depression has stirred much controversy in recent years. Many have raised doubts about the efficacy of both antidepressants and psychotherapy, and whether medications increase the risk of treatment-emergent suicidality is a divisive issue. Read More