Psychostimulant Augmentation of Antidepressant Therapy in Depression: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

AbstractPurpose of ReviewTo evaluate the effectiveness of psychostimulant augmentation of antidepressants in the treatment of depression in adults.Recent FindingsIn our analysis of 13 RCTs involving 2478 participants, psychostimulant augmentation demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in depressive symptom severity compared to placebo augmentation (N = 1827; SMD =  − 0.18; 95% CI (− 0.36, − 0.01);p = 0.04,I2 = 65%). However, we did not observe a significant increase in remission rates (N = 1709; OR = 1.30; 95% CI (0.97, 1.75);p = 0.08,I2 = 32%).SummaryDepression, a pressing global health issue, is typically treated with antidepressant monotherapy, offering limited relief. Our study introduces a potential breakthrough: psychostimulant augmentation of antidepressants, which significantly alleviates depressive symptoms. Nevertheless, larger high-quality trials evaluating a wider range of drugs are necessary to further explore and strengthen our findings.
Source: Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research