Probably the most important aspect of the study, notes Neergaard, is that those who recovered were receiving higher than normal drug doses, and received close monitoring and frequent dose adjustments in the first three months.  Those, points out the author, is a level of care that few in the U.

S. receive on an ongoing basis, indicating that the need for such managed care is integral, especially in the first few months of treatment.

While the results are certainly interesting to the psychiatric community, the main goal of the government-funded study was “to identify what harder-to-treat patients should try when initial treatment fails, instead of abandoning therapy in frustration.”  These remaining results are due to be published in a few months.

The other important tool created by the study is a simple rating system that doctors may employ to quickly assess depression symptoms and report side effects of a particular prescribed medication.  According to Neergaard, the rating system is now available to doctors via a website and using it will help doctors adjust patient dosages every two to three weeks until the balance is correct or until they determine that another type of therapy is required to treat a particular patient.

“It's rare today that antidepressant users receive this so-called measurement-based care, said Dr. Richard Nakamura, deputy director of the National Institute of Mental Health, which funded the $35 million study.”Many people, because they're not given follow-up, the medications aren't adjusted ... do end up being frustrated, and any negative side effects, any trouble with dosage levels, will cause them to end treatment.”