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Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are known to be effective for depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in adults. Two new industry-sponsored, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter studies extend our knowledge of the SSRI sertraline. The first demonstrates sertraline's efficacy for long-term maintenance treatment of chronic depression in adults. The second demonstrates its safety and efficacy for short-term treatment of OCD in children and adolescents.
Researchers in the first study randomized 161 patients with chronic major depression who had responded to sertraline during 12 weeks of acute treatment and 16 weeks of continuation therapy to either continue sertraline (flexible doses up to 200 mg) or receive pla…