Parker G. Differential effectiveness of newer and older antidepressants appears mediated by an age effect on the phenotypic expression of depression. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2002: 106: 168–170. © Blackwell Munksgaard 2002. Objective: A possible mechanism whereby the serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants may not (overall) be as effective as the tricyclic (TCA) antidepressants is explored. Method: Clinical psychiatrists rated the effectiveness of past antidepressant medications in a clinical panel study of patients with a major depressive disorder, with 200 having previously received a TCA and 219 an SSRI. Results: Analyses indicated decreased SSRI effectiveness with age in those with the melancholic subtype. TCA effectiveness appeared uninfluenced by age and depressive subtype. Conclusion: Findings suggest why the broader‐based TCAs may be more effective than the SSRIs in implicating age and depressive subtype influences.
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Gordon Parker (2002) studied this question.
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