PREVENTION OF POST PARTUM DEPRESSION : COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN SERTRALINE AND PAROXETIN

Objective: The authors attempted to reduce the rate of postpartum depression in high-risk women and to increase the time to recurrence comparing Sertraline and Paroxetine . METHOD: Nondepressed pregnant women with at least one past episode of postpartum major depression were recruited into a randomized clinical trial. Mothers were assigned randomly to a 17-week trial of sertraline or paroxetine immediately after birth and assessed for 20 sequential weeks with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. RESULTS: Of 22 subjects who took sertraline, 6 suffered a recurrence. Of 22 subjects who were assigned to paroxetine, four ) suffered recurrences. This difference was not significant. The time to recurrence was significantly equal in the sertralineand paroxetine-treated women. Conclusions: Sertraline and Paroxetine confer preventive efficacy for postpartum-onset major depression and prevent recurrence and have equal efficacy.