Common Antidepressant Sertraline Shows Rapid Relief for Depression

A study led by researchers at University College London has found that the common antidepressant sertraline, known by the brand names Zoloft and Lustral, can provide modest improvements in key symptoms of depression and anxiety within just two weeks of treatment.

This new analysis, published in Nature Mental Health, revisited the PANDA trial from 2019, which originally indicated that sertraline eased anxiety before affecting depression. The current research employed network analysis to delve deeper into specific symptoms rather than relying solely on overall depression scores.

The findings revealed that patients taking sertraline experienced noticeable improvements in emotional symptoms such as low mood and suicidal thoughts in the initial two weeks. However, some physical side effects like tiredness, reduced appetite, and lower libido were also reported, complicating the interpretation of results since these symptoms often overlap with those of depression itself.

According to lead author Dr. Giulia Piazza, this refined analysis allows for a better understanding of how different symptoms of depression and anxiety interact and vary among individuals. Improvements in emotional and anxiety symptoms were found to continue increasing over time, while physical symptoms tended to worsen slightly at first before stabilizing after six weeks.

Professor Glyn Lewis, who led the original PANDA trial, emphasized that these findings provide robust evidence supporting the use of sertraline for those experiencing depressive and anxiety symptoms. Co-senior author Professor Jean-Baptiste Pingault highlighted that the early beneficial effects of sertraline can significantly inform treatment decisions for patients and clinicians alike.

This research underscores the importance of considering symptom-level effects in the evaluation of existing and novel psychiatric treatments. The study was funded by Wellcome, while the original PANDA trial received backing from the National Institute for Health Research and the NIHR University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre.