Mirtazapine was significantly more effective than a serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor ( venlafaxine only , two trials , n = 415 ) at two weeks ( OR 2.29 , 95 % CI 1.45 to 3.59 ) and at the end of acute-phase treatment ( OR 1.53 , 95 % CI 1.03 to 2.25).In terms of dropouts , there was no robust evidence to detect a difference between mirtazapine and other antidepressants .
Mirtazapine was more likely to cause weight gain or increased appetite and somnolence than SSRIs but less likely to cause nausea or vomiting and sexual dysfunction .
AUTHORS ' CONCLUSIONS Some statistically significant and possibly clinical ly meaningful differences between mirtazapine and other antidepressive agents were found for the acute-phase treatment of major depression .
Mirtazapine is likely to have a faster onset of action than SSRIs during the acute-phase treatment .
Dropouts occur similarly in participants treated with mirtazapine and those treated with other antidepressants , although the adverse event profile of mirtazapine is unique
BACKGROUND Mirtazapine has a unique mechanism of antidepressive action and is one of the commonly used antidepressants in clinical practice .
OBJECTIVES The aim of the present review was to assess the evidence on the efficacy and acceptability of mirtazapine compared with other antidepressive agents in the acute-phase treatment of major depression in adults .
Sertraline versus paroxetine in major depression: clinical outcome after six months of continuous therapy.
reuptake inhibitors ( SSRIs ) during continuation therapy . This investigation reports the differential effect of 6 months of treatment with sertraline versus paroxetine for symptoms of depression , quality of life , and personality outcomes .  Out patients with unipolar major depression ( DSM-III-R ) were r and omly assigned to receive 24 weeks of double-blind treatment with flexible doses of paroxetine ( 20 - 40 mg ) or sertraline ( 50 - 150 mg ) . Assessment s included the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale ( MADRS ) , the Clinical Global Impression Scale , the Battelle Quality of Life Question naire , and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R Personality Disorders screen question naire . One hundred seventy-six patients ( mean age , 43 years ; 64 % female ; baseline MADRS , 30.3 ) were treated with sertraline and 177 patients ( mean age , 42 years ; 71 % female ; MADRS , 30.7 ) with paroxetine .  Antidepressant efficacy during continuation therapy was sustained , with only 2 % of patients receiving sertraline and 9 % of patients receiving paroxetine suffering a relapse . Continuation therapy result ed in a substantial conversion of responders during short-term treatment to full remission : remitter rates increased from 52 % to 80 % for sertraline and from 57 % to 74 % for paroxetine . The improvements in quality of life were related to a reduced depression score .  SSRI treatment had significant beneficial effects on both categorical and dimensional measures of personality . A logistic regression analysis identified early response ( 25 % reduction in MADRS scores at week 2 ) as the most important predictor of treatment response , whereas high severity , chronicity , and poor baseline quality of life had no effect . Both treatments were well-tolerated , with sertraline having a somewhat lower side effect profile .  Sertraline and paroxetine demonstrated comparable efficacy during short-term and continuation therapy . Treatment was associated with significant improvement in quality of life and with reductions in axis II personality psychopathology
Mirtazapine was significantly more effective than a serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor ( venlafaxine only , two trials , n = 415 ) at two weeks ( OR 2.29 , 95 % CI 1.45 to 3.59 ) and at the end of acute-phase treatment ( OR 1.53 , 95 % CI 1.03 to 2.25).In terms of dropouts , there was no robust evidence to detect a difference between mirtazapine and other antidepressants .
Mirtazapine was more likely to cause weight gain or increased appetite and somnolence than SSRIs but less likely to cause nausea or vomiting and sexual dysfunction .
AUTHORS ' CONCLUSIONS Some statistically significant and possibly clinical ly meaningful differences between mirtazapine and other antidepressive agents were found for the acute-phase treatment of major depression .
Mirtazapine is likely to have a faster onset of action than SSRIs during the acute-phase treatment .
Dropouts occur similarly in participants treated with mirtazapine and those treated with other antidepressants , although the adverse event profile of mirtazapine is unique
BACKGROUND Mirtazapine has a unique mechanism of antidepressive action and is one of the commonly used antidepressants in clinical practice .
OBJECTIVES The aim of the present review was to assess the evidence on the efficacy and acceptability of mirtazapine compared with other antidepressive agents in the acute-phase treatment of major depression in adults .