Post-hoc analysis of the efficacy of the most commonly prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) antidepressants in the prevention of depressive symptoms relapse: a pooled analysis of randomized double-blind clinical trials

Depression is a common and serious mental health condition that affects hundreds of millions of people around the world. It can cause persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a loss of interest in daily activities. While treatment can help relieve symptoms, many people experience repeated episodes of depression even after they have started to feel better. This is known as a relapse.

To help prevent relapse, doctors often recommend that patients continue taking antidepressants, which are medications that help improve mood by balancing certain chemicals in the brain. This ongoing use of medication is called maintenance therapy. However, questions remain about how effective different antidepressants are in preventing relapse, and whether some people are more likely than others to benefit from continued treatment.

In this project, we will collect and analyze data from several large clinical trials that studied commonly prescribed antidepressants. Our goal is to better understand how well these medications work in the long term and to identify ways to improve depression treatment guidelines for both doctors and patients.

We will explore how well commonly used antidepressants help prevent depression from returning during long-term treatment. We are also interested in whether some medications work better than others. As part of our analysis, we will examine what happens when patients stop taking their medication, particularly during the first few weeks, to better understand if and when withdrawal symptoms occur. Additionally, we aim to identify key factors—such as age, sex, the type of medication used, or how severe a person’s symptoms were at the start—that might help predict who is most likely to benefit from treatment, experience side effects, or face challenges when discontinuing medication.

To answer these questions, we will compare each antidepressant not only to a placebo (an inactive pill) but also to other antidepressants.

By combining data from multiple trials, we hope to provide clearer answers about which antidepressants work best for preventing relapse, who is most likely to benefit, and how to manage the risks of stopping treatment. Ultimately, we aim to support doctors and patients in making more informed decisions about long-term depression care.