Follow-up of depressed women after maintenance treatment.

The authors present follow-up results based on 150 women 1 year after maintenance treatment for depression. Maintenance treatment consisted of 8 months of amitriptyline, psychotherapy, or a combination of the two, administered by random assignment following recovery from an acute depressive episode. Approximately 30% of the patients remained in complete remission, 60% experienced recurrence of symptoms, and 12% remained mildly but chronically symptomatic. The implications of these findings for planning care for the ambulatory depressed patient on both an individual and a public health basis are discussed.