Cited by 92Treatment of Major DepressionMental Health Treatment and AccessAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 277 of the 293 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 79 of the 228 sources its claims cite were checked for support.

Approaches for discontinuation versus continuation of long-term antidepressant use for depressive and anxiety disorders in adults

Open access
Van Leeuwen, Ellen, van Driel, Mieke L, Horowitz, Mark A, Kendrick, Tony, Donald, Maria, De Sutter, An IM, Robertson, Lindsay, Christiaens, Thierry·2021·Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

Abstract

EDITORIAL NOTE: This editorial note has been published by the editors of Cochrane to alert readers that the following study included in this systematic review has an associated retraction. Associated studies with retractions of one or more study reports: Hollon SD, DeRubeis RJ, Fawcett J, Amsterdam JD, Shelton RC, Zajecka J, et al. Effect of cognitive therapy with antidepressant medications vs antidepressants alone on the rate of recovery in major depressive disorder: a randomised clinical trial. JAMA Psychiatry. 2014;71(10):1157–64. An assessment into the impact of removing this study on the review’s findings and conclusions is currently underway. Further editorial updates will be provided once this assessment is complete. BACKGROUND: Depression and anxiety are the most frequent indication for which antidepressants are prescribed. Long-term antidepressant use is driving much of the internationally observed rise in antidepressant consumption. Surveys of antidepressant users suggest that 30% to 50% of long-term antidepressant prescriptions had no evidence-based indication. Unnecessary use of antidepressants puts people at risk of adverse events. However, high-certainty evidence is lacking regarding the effectiveness and safety of approaches to discontinuing long-term antidepressants. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness and safety of approaches for discontinuation versus continuation of long-term antidepressant use for depressive and anxiety disorders in adults. SEARCH METHODS: We searched all databases for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) until January 2020. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included RCTs comparing approaches to discontinuation with continuation of antidepressants (or usual care) for people with depression or anxiety who are prescribed antidepressants for at least six months. Interventions included discontinuation alone (abrupt or taper), discontinuation with psychological therapy support, and discontinuation with minimal intervention. Primary outcomes were successful discontinuation rate, relapse (as defined by authors of the original study), withdrawal symptoms, and adverse events. Secondary outcomes were depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, quality of life, social and occupational functioning, and severity of illness. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We used standard methodological procedures as expected by Cochrane. MAIN RESULTS: We included 33 studies involving 4995 participants. Nearly all studies were conducted in a specialist mental healthcare service and included participants with recurrent depression (i.e. two or more episodes of depression prior to discontinuation). All included trials were at high risk of bias. The main limitation of the review is bias due to confounding withdrawal symptoms with symptoms of relapse of depression. Withdrawal symptoms (such as low mood, dizziness) may have an effect on almost every outcome including adverse events, quality of life, social functioning, and severity of illness. Abrupt discontinuation Thirteen studies reported abrupt discontinuation of antidepressant. Very low-certainty evidence suggests that abrupt discontinuation without psychological support may increase risk of relapse (hazard ratio (HR) 2.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.59 to 2.74; 1373 participants, 10 studies) and there is insufficient evidence of its effect on adverse events (odds ratio (OR) 1.11, 95% CI 0.62 to 1.99; 1012 participants, 7 studies; I² = 37%) compared to continuation of antidepressants, without specific assessment of withdrawal symptoms. Evidence about the effects of abrupt discontinuation on withdrawal symptoms (1 study) is very uncertain. None of these studies included successful discontinuation rate as a primary endpoint. Discontinuation by "taper" Eighteen studies examined discontinuation by "tapering" (one week or longer). Most tapering regimens lasted four weeks or less. Very low-certainty evidence suggests that "tapered" discontinuation may lead to higher risk of relapse (HR 2.97, 95% CI 2.24 to 3.93; 1546 participants, 13 studies) with no or little difference in adverse events (OR 1.06, 95% CI 0.82 to 1.38; 1479 participants, 7 studies; I² = 0%) compared to continuation of antidepressants, without specific assessment of withdrawal symptoms. Evidence about the effects of discontinuation on withdrawal symptoms (1 study) is very uncertain. Discontinuation with psychological support Four studies reported discontinuation with psychological support. Very low-certainty evidence suggests that initiation of preventive cognitive therapy (PCT), or MBCT, combined with "tapering" may result in successful discontinuation rates of 40% to 75% in the discontinuation group (690 participants, 3 studies). Data from control groups in these studies were requested but are not yet available. Low-certainty evidence suggests that discontinuation combined with psychological intervention may result in no or little effect on relapse (HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.66 to 1.19; 690 participants, 3 s

Overview

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1002/14651858.cd013495.pub2

Cites

277 of 279 references verified2 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

79 of 228 cited sources checked · 33 supported · 2 flagged · accuracy not yet measured

Show all 307 claims

  • It may state two separate claims as one. 166
  • Probably not a substantial claim. 239
  • The quote only partly states this claim. 16
354 of 354
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The DESS scale validly measures antidepressant withdrawal syndrome.

    “a withdrawal syndrome based on DESS Scale”
    “withdrawal syndrome based on DESS scores”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    The included studies would be too dissimilar and would display substantial clinical and methodological heterogeneity.

    “We used a random-effects model because we assumed that the included studies would not be sufficiently similar and would show considerable clinical and methodological heterogeneity (Deeks 2017).”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Psychological support may lead to higher risk of successful antidepressant discontinuation and lower risk of relapse.

    “because psychological support may lead to higher risk of successful antidepressant discontinuation and lower risk of relapse.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Withdrawal symptoms are a fundamental outcome in drug discontinuation trials.

    “although this is a fundamental outcome in drug discontinuation trials.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Clinical scale scores include domains that are symptoms of withdrawal.

    “all of which are symptoms of withdrawal.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The HAM-D scale contains domains that are symptoms of withdrawal.

    “The HAM-D scale contains domains for depressed mood, insomnia, agitation, gastrointestinal somatic symptoms, anxiety, general somatic symptoms, and sexual dysfunction, all of which are symptoms of withdrawal.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The HAM-A scale contains domain symptoms of psychic anxiety and somatic anxiety that are symptoms of withdrawal.

    “It is important to note that HAM-A contains domain symptoms of psychic anxiety and somatic anxiety, all of which are symptoms of withdrawal.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Withdrawal symptoms including psychological symptoms may impair severity of illness.

    “Withdrawal symptoms including psychological symptoms may impair the severity of illness.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The COVI Anxiety Scale may register anxiety and other symptoms of withdrawal.

    “A weakness of the COVI Anxiety Scale is that anxiety and other symptoms of withdrawal may register on the COVI Anxiety Scale.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Low mood is a common withdrawal symptom.

    “Low mood is a common withdrawal symptom, but none of these studies measured withdrawal symptoms nor made adjustments for withdrawal symptoms.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    HAM-A scales contain symptoms from domains of psychic anxiety and somatic anxiety, all of which are symptoms of withdrawal.

    “HAM-A scales contain symptoms from domains of psychic anxiety and somatic anxiety, all of which are symptoms of withdrawal.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Withdrawal symptoms may impair work, socialising, and emotional well-being (social functioning and emotional role functioning).

    “Withdrawal symptoms may impair work, socialising, and emotional well-being (social functioning and emotional role functioning) because of disturbing physical and emotional symptoms.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Withdrawal symptoms may influence social and occupational functioning.

    “Withdrawal symptoms may influence social and occupational functioning due to disturbing physical and emotional symptoms.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Withdrawal symptoms including psychological symptoms may impair the severity of illness.

    “Withdrawal symptoms including psychological symptoms may impair the severity of illness.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Withdrawal symptoms may be misdiagnosed as adverse events.

    “confounding withdrawal bias; withdrawal symptoms may be misdiagnosed as adverse events”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Low mood as a withdrawal symptom may be misdiagnosed as depressive symptoms.

    “low mood as withdrawal symptom may be misdiagnosed as depressive symptoms with scores from the HAM-D scale or other clinical scales”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Withdrawal symptoms may impair quality of life measures.

    “withdrawal symptoms may impair QoL measures”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Withdrawal symptoms may be misclassified as relapse and this may lead to restart of the antidepressant.

    “withdrawal confounding bias; withdrawal symptoms may be misclassified as relapse and this may lead to restart of the antidepressant”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Adverse events may include withdrawal symptoms.

    “withdrawal confounding bias; adverse events may include withdrawal symptoms”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Pharmaceutical companies may not have discontinuation as their main interest.

    “because drug companies whose primary interest may not be in discontinuation.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Guidelines currently advise tapering for at least four weeks.

    “as current guidelines recommend tapering over 4 weeks and more.”
21 of 21

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

  • The six-study severity analysis names a different scale for one study

    Minor

    The analysis says all six studies measured severity with CGI-S, but its description of Rickels 2010 says that study reported PGI-S scores.

  • Low-intensity intervention is both absent and assigned to a study

    Minor

    The intervention summary says no included study used low-intensity support for discontinuation, whereas the fourth comparison describes its included study as using a low-intensity intervention.

  • Severity-of-illness study count changes within the same analysis

    Minor

    The text identifies five studies and reports a five-study pooled result, but calls them six studies between those statements.

  • Removing studies is said to reduce an increased effect

    Minor

    The reported mean difference rises from 0.31 to 0.44 after the two studies are removed, contrary to the statement that its magnitude decreased.

  • Tapering withdrawal comparison gives two control-group sizes

    Minor

    The same Khan 2014 tapering comparison gives the continuation group as 37 participants and then uses 36 as its denominator.

  • Short Form scale labels are reversed in the abbreviations

    Minor

    The outcome-measures section identifies SF-36 as Short Form 36 and SF-12 as Short Form 12. The abbreviations list assigns the 36-item name to SF-12 and the 12-item name to SF-36.

  • Count of older-adult-only studies differs

    Minor

    The sample-size section names four studies that included only participants aged 65 or older, while the applicability discussion says there were three.

  • Four-week follow-up is classified inconsistently

    Minor

    The methods define four weeks or less as short-term follow-up, but the results place a four-week study in the medium-term category.

  • Abrupt-discontinuation relapse result names the wrong comparator

    Minor

    The relapse estimate is described as comparing abrupt discontinuation with discontinuation. The comparison and its two groups are instead discontinuation versus continuation.

9 of 9

Cited works that were retracted

Works this paper cites that were later retracted, from the retraction notices publishers deposit. Major when the notice came out before this paper was published.

  • Cites a retracted work: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.1054

    Info

    The cited work was retracted; the date of the notice is not on record.

    Cited work 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.1054 · retraction date not known · this paper published 2021-04-22

1 of 1

Citations

Cites

1 retracted

Flagged first, then by citations

14 of the 293 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 13

  1. Eveleigh, 2018, Withdrawal of unnecessary antidepressant medication: a randomised controlled trial in primary care, British Journal of General Practice Open, 1, bjgpopen17X1012
  2. Huijbers MJ Data supplement to Huijbers et al. Discontinuation of antidepressant medication after mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for recurrent depression: randomised controlled non-inferiority trial British Journal of Psychiatry 2016 doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.115.168971 · DOI · Paper page
  3. Kornstein, 2014, Influence of sex and menopausal status on response, remission, and recurrence in patients with recurrent major depressive disorder treated with venlafaxine extended release or fluoxetine: analysis of data from the PREVENT study, Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 75, 62, 10.4088/JCP.12m07841 · DOI
  4. Mavissakalian, 1998, Gauging the effectiveness of extended imipramine treatment for panic disorder with agoraphobia, Biological Psychiatry, 43, 848–54, 10.1016/S0006-3223(97)00376-4 · DOI
  5. Mavissakalian, 1999, Long-term maintenance and discontinuation of imipramine therapy in panic disorder with agoraphobia, Archives of General Psychiatry, 56, 821, 10.1001/archpsyc.56.9.821 · DOI
  6. Streim, 2012, Antidepressant discontinuation associated with cognitive decline in older adult residents of long-term care facilities, American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 1), S147
  7. Mangin D Dowson C Mulder R Wells E Toop L Dowell T The effectiveness of maintenanceSSRI treatment in primary care depression to prevent recurrence: multicentre double blinded placebo controlled RCT Proceedings of the 2015 North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG) 43rd Annual Meeting 2015
  8. American Psychiatric Association Practice guideline for the treatment of patients with major depressive disorder dsm.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596.dsm04 · DOI
  9. Beck, 1993, Beck Anxiety Inventory Manual
  10. Deeks JJ Higgins JP on behalf of the Cochrane Statistical Methods Group Chapter 9. Analysing data and undertaking meta-analyses. In: Higgins JPT, Churchill R, Chandler J, Cumpston MS (editors), Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions version 5.2.0 (updated June 2017), Cochrane, 2017 Available from www.training.cochrane.org/handbook
  11. Van Weel-Baumgarten, 2012, The NHG guideline depression (second revision of the NHG guideline depressive disorder), Huisarts en Wetenschap, 55, 252
  12. Review Manager 5 (RevMan 5) Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration 2014
  13. Rosenbaum, 1988, Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor discontinuation syndrome: a randomized clinical trial, Biological Psychiatry, 44, 77, 10.1016/S0006-3223(98)00126-7 · DOI · Paper page

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Metadata

Authors
Van Leeuwen, E., van Driel, M. L., Horowitz, M. A., Kendrick, T., Donald, M., De Sutter, A. I., Robertson, L., & Christiaens, T.
Affiliations
  • Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Department of Basic and Applied Medical Sciences; Ghent University; Ghent Belgium
  • Department of Public Health and Primary Care; Ghent University; Ghent Belgium
  • University College London (GB)
  • University of Southampton (GB)
  • The University of Queensland (AU)
  • University of York (GB)
  • Ghent University (BE)
Venue
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2021-04-22
Volume
2026
Issue
8
Pages
CD013495-CD013495
ISSN
  • 1361-6137 (ISSN-L)
  • 1465-1858
OpenAlex
W3154690009
Cited by
90
References
293
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 16
FWCI
2.21
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Ghent University Academic Bibliography (Ghent University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Bond University
  • National Institute for Health and Care Research
  • Department of Health and Social Care
  • Radboud Universiteit
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology (medical) › Treatment of Major Depression
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Mental Health Treatment and Access
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
Keywords
antidepressant discontinuation, long-term antidepressant use, depression, anxiety disorders, antidepressant withdrawal symptoms, relapse, tapering, minimal intervention, adverse events, quality of life, social and occupational functioning, recurrent depression, adults, children, adolescents
MeSH terms
Drug Tapering, Adult, Antidepressive Agents, Anxiety Disorders, Depression, Humans, Quality of Life, Recurrence, Time Factors, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Withholding Treatment

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