[1] In level one, patients received the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) citalopram for up to 14 weeks, with adjustment of the dose being managed by their own physicians.
[5] Lower remission rates were seen in those with longer depressive episodes, co-occurring anxiety or substance use disorders, and more physical illness.
[5] For level two, patients who received CBT, either alone or combined with citalopram, had similar response and remission rates compared to those who were receiving medication(s) only; however, for those patients who remained on citalopram, those who had another antidepressant added achieved remission more rapidly than those who had CBT added.
For level three, the remission rates based on the HAM-D symptom scale were 12.3% for mirtazapine and 19.8% for nortriptyline, although the difference was not large enough for statistical significance.
[5] The remission rates based on the HAM-D in the combination strategy were 15.9% for lithium and 24.7% for triiodothyronine, but the difference was not statistically significant.
[1] For those who did achieve full remission, there was a decreased chance of relapse at 12-month (naturalistic) follow-up compared to those patients who only responded.