Nortriptyline for treatment-resistant depression.

Background: Up to 30% of patients with major depression fail to respond to an antidepressant trial, with most taking a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) as initial treatment. While the tricyclic antidepressants might be effective for SSRI nonresponders, they have been relegated to third- and fourth-line treatment. This study assesses the efficacy of nortriptyline for patients with treatment-resistant major depression.

Body dysmorphic disorder in outpatients with major depression.

Background: Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a distressing and impairing preoccupation with an imagined or slight defect in appearance, with depression as its most frequent comorbid condition. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the rate of BDD in a cohort of consecutive outpatients with typical and atypical major depressive disorder.

Methods: Three hundred and fifty consecutive outpatient subjects with major depression who entered an antidepressant treatment study were evaluated drug-free with the SCID-P, SCID-II, a diagnostic module for BDD, and other measures.