Controversies in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Depression

Severe depression is a frequently diagnosed disorder and a major health problem in the United States and Europe. An international panel of experts met recently in New Paltz, New York, to discuss whether severe depression constitutes a distinct form of depression and to review effective treatments for the disorder. In his opening remarks, Roger Pinder, Ph.D., D.Sc., Medical Director CNS at N.V. Organon, said, "Severe depression is a major topic for discussion at the present time. There is a feeling, with some evidence, that patients with this disorder respond less well to SSRIs, suggesting that severe depression may be better served by using drugs like the tricyclic antidepressants or drugs that have a dual mechanism of action."