Staying on long-term antidepressants reduces risk of relapse

When people stop taking antidepressants after a long period of use, just over half (56%) experience a relapse within a year, compared to 39% of those who stay on medication, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. The researchers say their findings, published in The New England Journal of Medicine , can help doctors and patients to make an informed decision together on whether or not to stop their antidepressants after recovery from a depressive episode. The study is the first publication from a large discontinuation trial of people taking antidepressants for multiple years in primary care. Lead author Dr Gemma Lewis (UCL Psychiatry) said: "Prescriptions of antidepressants have increased dramatically over recent decades as people are now staying on antidepressants for much longer. Until now we didn't know whether antidepressant treatment was still effective when someone has been taking them for many years. "We have found that remaining on antidepressants long-term does effectively reduce the risk of relapse. However, many people can stop their medication without relapsing, though at present we cannot identify who those people are." The National Institute for Health study involved 478 primary care patients in England who had been taking long-term antidepressants ( citalopram, sertraline, fluoxetine, or mirtazapine) and who felt well enough to consider stopping.