Fluoxetine vs. Brief Psychotherapy for Major Depression

Fluoxetine vs. Brief Psychotherapy in the Treatment of Major Depression - a Randomized Comparative Study

In this study we compare two treatments for major depression - fluoxetine and brief psychodynamic psychotherapy. In addition to more traditional outcome measures, we also measure the densities of 5HT-1A and D-2 receptors before and after the treatment. The main hypothesis is that brief psychotherapy is as effective as fluoxetine.

This study is a randomized comparison of two treatments for major depression - fluoxetine and brief psychodynamic psychotherapy. The patients are recruited from occupational health services and suffer from mild to moderate major depressive disorder. The treatments last for 16 weeks. The main outcome measures include HAM-D, BDI, SOFAS, Rand-36. In addition to more traditional outcome measures, we also measure the densities of 5HT-1A and D-2 receptors before and after the treatment using Positron Emission Tomography (PET) . The main hypothesis is that brief psychotherapy is as effective as fluoxetine, but differences between the treatments are seen in PET scanning.

Inclusion Criteria:

• MDD (mild to moderate)
• HDRS 15 or more, age 20-60 years
• No treatment for preceding 4 months
• No DSM-IV axis I or II comorbidity
• No severe somatic illness
• No contraindications for fluoxetine treatment