The STAR*D study: treating depression in the real world.

Key Points

• To evaluate feasible sequential treatment strategies designed to improve clinical outcomes in real-world patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression.
• Assessed practical, stepped treatment strategies in real-world patients with treatment-resistant depression.
• Evaluated sequential therapeutic options to identify pathways for initiating therapy and adjusting subsequent interventions after initial treatment failure.
• No single sequential treatment strategy demonstrated clear-cut superiority over alternative strategies.
• Sequential treatment protocols provided structured clinical guidance for initiating therapy and managing subsequent steps when initial treatments fail.