Time to discontinuation among the three second-generation antidepressants in a naturalistic outpatient setting of depression

Aim: This study compared the discontinuation time among the three second-generation antidepressants (paroxetine, venlafaxine, and mirtazapine) in a naturalistic setting for outpatient treatment of depression. Methods: This study used data from retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients admitted to an outpatient psychiatric clinic between January 2003 and December 2005. Patient groups (paroxetine-, venlafaxine-, and mirtazapine-treated) were compared with each other with regard to their discontinuation times for a 6-month period after treatment initiation. The data were analyzed, using a Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and a Cox proportional hazards regression model. Results: There were no significant differences in discontinuation times among the three second-generation antidepressants during the 6-month period after initiation of drug therapy. Conclusions: In a naturalistic setting for the care of depression, it seems that there are no differences in discontinuation times among these three second-generation antidepressants.