2021
ANTLER TRIAL
Maintenance or discontinuation of antidepressants in primary care
Multicenter, randomized, double-blind trial
M
Objective: To assess the effects of maintenance
antidepressant therapy, as compared with discontinuation of treatment, in patients taking antidepressants
478 patients
Inclusion criteria: Participants 18 to 74 years of age with >2 prior episodes of depression or took antidepressants for > 2 years
Maintenance group
(n=238)
39
39
x
Discontinuation group (n=240)
PRIMARY OUTCOME
Relapse of depression %
HR 2.06; 95% CI, 1.56 to 2.70; P< 0.001
SECONDARY OUTCOME
56
56
4.1
PHQ-9 score at 12 weeks Diff: 2.2; 95% CI, 1.5 to 2.8
6.3
3.1
GAD-7 score at 12 weeks Diff: 2.4; 95% CI, 1.8 to 3.0
5.3
4
Adverse events %
3
Conclusion: Among patients in primary care practices who felt well enough to discontinue antidepressant therapy, those who were assigned to stop their medication had a higher risk of relapse of depression by 52 weeks than those who were assigned to maintain their current therapy.
G Lewis et al. NEJM 2021; 385:1257-1267
