SSRIs significantly increase the risk of both serious and non-serious adverse events .
The potential small beneficial effects seem to be outweighed by harmful effects .
Background The evidence on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRIs ) for major depressive disorder is unclear .
Methods Our objective was to conduct a systematic review assessing the effects of SSRIs versus placebo , ‘ active ’ placebo , or no intervention in adult participants with major depressive disorder .
The safety and efficacy of paroxetine compared with placebo in a double-blind trial of depressed outpatients.
Considerable research shows that serotonin dysfunction is implicated in major depression .  Paroxetine is an investigational antidepressant that appears to act by selectively blocking neuronal serotonin uptake . Seventy-two out patients with moderate-to-severe major depression entered this 6-week , double-blind comparison of paroxetine and placebo . The results showed clear and significant superiority of paroxetine on all of the major outcome variables . These included physician-rated measures such as the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and its four factor scores , the Clinical Global Impressions scale , the Montgomery and Asberg Depression Rating Scale , and the Raskin Depression Scale . Results on these agreed well with patient-rated measures like the Hopkins Symptom Checklist and Patient Global Evaluation Scale .  Paroxetine was also very well tolerated . Nausea and constipation occurred significantly more often with paroxetine , but only 9 % of paroxetine patients dropped out of the study due either in whole or in part to an adverse effect . This compares to 8 % of the placebo patients who were discontinued for the same reason . This study suggests that paroxetine is a safe and effective medication for the treatment of major depression
SSRIs significantly increase the risk of both serious and non-serious adverse events .
The potential small beneficial effects seem to be outweighed by harmful effects .
Background The evidence on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRIs ) for major depressive disorder is unclear .
Methods Our objective was to conduct a systematic review assessing the effects of SSRIs versus placebo , ‘ active ’ placebo , or no intervention in adult participants with major depressive disorder .