Thaindian News

Washington, April 08 (ANI): An epidemiologist has suggested that the use of anti-depressants may have long-term benefits.

Ian Colman, an epidemiologist in the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta, reviewed a data from the National Population Health Survey, a longitudinal Canadian study, and showed depressed adults who use antidepressants are three times less likely to be depressed eight years later, compared to depressed adults who don’t use antidepressants.

However, it is important to note that it’s unlikely that the effects are just the result of ongoing treatment, said Colman.

“It’s more likely that results from the study speak to the importance of getting evidence-based treatment, drugs or other therapies, in the first place and treatments that ensure that all of your symptoms are resolved,” he added.

Colman also stressed that, while proper treatment is vital, he also pointesd the importance of treatment that continues until an individual’s symptoms have completely ceased.

“It’s common that depressed individuals will have a partial remission of symptoms where they feel better but some symptoms remain; those people have poor long-term outcomes,” he said.

“It’s important to have successful treatment that deals with all of your symptoms,” he added.

Colman offered several options in order for treatment to be successful. Psychotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy, which focuses on problem solving and skills building, help the patient deal with stressful situations for example, and have proved to have long-term beneficial outcomes.

“Evidence suggests that cognitive behavioural therapies are as effective as anti-depressants, and the two treatments together is even more effective,” he added.

The study has been published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research. (ANI)