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Third-Generation Antidepressants: Do They Offer Advantages Over the SSRIs?
Abstract
Third-generation antidepressants are a group of antidepressant agents of variable action, not confined to serotonin reuptake inhibition. These agents include venlafaxine, reboxetine, nefazodone and mirtazapine. Claims have been made for these agents in terms of improved efficacy, faster speed of onset of effect and greater safety in the treatment of depression compared with previous medications, such as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). This article reviews the evidence for these improvements. Thirty active comparator studies were reviewed involving the third-generation antidepressant agents. While there were isolated reports of improvements over comparator agents for venlafaxine, reboxetine and mirtazepine, there were no convincing differences between third-generation agents and comparators in terms of overall efficacy, relapse prevention and speed of onset. The third-generation antidepressants were, however, of equivalent safety to SSRIs and maintained improvements in safety over first-generation agents.
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“they are classed together because they are modified versions of first and second generation antidepressants (Olver 2001).”
From Interventions for preventing relapse and recurrence of a depressive disorder in children and adolescents (2012) · cites this paper as Olver 2001
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Metadata
- Authors
- Olver, J. S., Burrows, G. D., & Norman, T. R.
- Affiliations
- The University of Melbourne (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Norman, Trevor R.
- ORCID
- Norman, Trevor R.
- Venue
- CNS Drugs
- Published
- 2001
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 941-954
- ISSN
- 1172-7047 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2087328751
- Cited by
- 63
- References
- 85
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 1 · 2018: 3 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 0.56
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- CNS Drugs (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Bristol-Myers Squibb
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology (medical) › Treatment of Major Depression
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychological Treatments and Disorders
- Keywords
- venlafaxine, reboxetine, nefazodone, mirtazapine, depression, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, antidepressant efficacy, relapse prevention, onset of action, drug safety
- MeSH terms
- Antidepressive Agents, Clinical Trials as Topic, Depressive Disorder, Humans, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, Secondary Prevention
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