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Adequacy of continuation and maintenance treatments for major depression in Japan

¹ Department of Psychiatry and Cognitive-Behavioral Medicine, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan.
² Department of Psychiatry and Cognitive-Behavioral Medicine, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan
³ Department of Clinical Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
⁴ National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

	Abstract

Guidelines for treating depression often recommend continuing antidepressants at least for 6 months after remission. Whether this recommendation is implemented in daily practices represents a serious concern. We aimed to examine adequacy of continuation and maintenance treatment in Japan. A naturalistic prospective follow-up study with mood disorders was undertaken in 23 psychiatric departments from all over Japan. A total of 95 patients diagnosed with major depression were followed up every month until treatment termination and every 6 months thereafter. In this study, the cohort received 45.1 (SD _ 64.7) mg of imipramine or equivalent per day during continuation phase, and about 74% were prescribed inadequate doses, i.e. less than 75mg/day. At maintenance phase immediately before relapse, average dosage was 42.0 (SD _ 74.7) mg/day and 83% were prescribed inadequate doses. There is gross undertreatment of depression during continuation and maintenance phases in Japan.

Key Words: major depressive disorder, continuation treatment, maintenance treatment

First published on January 21, 2008, doi:10.1177/0269881107079049

Journal of Psychopharmacology 2008;22:153.

A more recent version of this article appeared on March 1, 2008


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