[Antidepressive efficacy of quetiapine XR in unipolar major depression--the role of early onset of action and sleep-improving effect in decreasing suicide risk].

Although the possibilities of antidepressive pharmacotherapy are continuously improving, the rate of nonresponders or partial responders is still relatively high. Suicidal behaviour, the most tragic consequence of untreated or unsuccessfully treated depression, commonly develops in the first few weeks of antidepressive treatment before the onset of therapeutic action and is strongly related to certain specific symptoms of depression like anxiety, agitation and insomnia. The present paper reviews the newly discovered and well-documented antidepressive effect of quetiapine in bipolar and unipolar depression with special regards to its early onset of action, and its sleep-improving effects. Both beneficial effects play an important role in the reduction of suicidal risk frequently seen in depressed patients.