Maintenance desipramine for dysthymia: a placebo-controlled study

This study examines the efficacy of maintenance pharmacotherapy in dysthymia without concurrent major depression, i.e. 'pure dysthymia'. No published data exist on this topic.

Responders to a 10-week open trial of desipramine (DMI) whose therapeutic response persisted during a 4-month continuation phase were eligible to begin a 2-year placebo-controlled maintenance phase. We analyzed the subgroup with DSM-III-R pure dysthymia (n=27) that entered maintenance. Time to recurrence during maintenance therapy was compared between the two treatment groups.

Six of 13 patients receiving placebo and none of 14 patients receiving ongoing DMI experienced a recurrence. Risk of recurrence was significantly greater for placebo patients. Five of six placebo recurrences occurred within the first 6 months of maintenance.

Larger replication studies are needed.

Desipramine was efficacious as a maintenance treatment in patients with pure dysthymia who responded to 7 months of acute and continuation DMI.