There were some beneficial effects compared to placebo or antidepressants but tolerability was worse .
Quetiapine was more effective than placebo treatment .
Aripiprazole and quetiapine and partly also olanzapine and risperidone augmentation showed beneficial effects compared to placebo .
Some evidence indicated beneficial effects of low-dose amisulpride for dysthymic people .
Most SGAs showed worse tolerability
BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder ( MDD ) is a common condition with a lifetime prevalence of 15 % to 18 % , which leads to considerable suffering and disability .
Some antipsychotics have been reported to induce remission in major depression , when added to an antidepressant .
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effects of second-generation antipsychotic ( SGA ) drugs ( alone or augmentation ) compared with placebo or antidepressants for people with MDD or dysthymia .
Amisulpride versus fluoxetine in patients with dysthymia or major depression in partial remission: a double-blind, comparative study.
In a multicentre , double blind , parallel group study 281 patients with DSM III-R diagnosis of dysthymia or a single episode of major depression in partial remission were r and omised to 3 months of treatment with amisulpride  50 mg/day or fluoxetine  20 mg/day . The baseline Montgomery and Asberg Depression Rating Scale ( MADRS ) total score was reduced by at least 50 % in 74.1 % of patients ( 103/139 ) with amisulpride and 67.4 % ( 87/129 ) with fluoxetine ( P = 0.230 ) . No significant differences between treatment groups were found in the reductions in mean total score with the MADRS , Widlöcher psychomotor retardation scale , Sheehan disability scale , and CGI . Anxiety measured by HAM-A total mean score decreased significantly more with amisulpride ( 63 % ) than with fluoxetine ( 54 % ; P = 0.021 ) . There were 13 dropouts due to adverse events with amisulpride and ten with fluoxetine . The number of patients reporting at least one adverse event was similar in the two groups ( amisulpride 47.5 % ; fluoxetine 40.9 % ) . As expected , in the amisulpride group endocrine-like adverse events in female patients were the most common , while nausea , dyspepsia , anorexia and insomnia occurred more frequently with fluoxetine
There were some beneficial effects compared to placebo or antidepressants but tolerability was worse .
Quetiapine was more effective than placebo treatment .
Aripiprazole and quetiapine and partly also olanzapine and risperidone augmentation showed beneficial effects compared to placebo .
Some evidence indicated beneficial effects of low-dose amisulpride for dysthymic people .
Most SGAs showed worse tolerability
BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder ( MDD ) is a common condition with a lifetime prevalence of 15 % to 18 % , which leads to considerable suffering and disability .
Some antipsychotics have been reported to induce remission in major depression , when added to an antidepressant .
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effects of second-generation antipsychotic ( SGA ) drugs ( alone or augmentation ) compared with placebo or antidepressants for people with MDD or dysthymia .