Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 17, 2026

Robotically Delivered fMRI-Guided Personalized Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression
Published on: April 10, 2026
Generalizability of antidepressant efficacy trials: differences between depressed psychiatric outpatients who would
Mark Zimmerman1, Iwona Chelminski, Michael A Posternak
1Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown Medical School, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI 02905, USA. mzimmerman@lifespan.org
Objective:
In recent years the generalizability of antidepressant efficacy trials has been questioned. Central to the question of generalizability is whether there are differences in clinical, demographic, and psychosocial characteristics between patients who would qualify for an antidepressant efficacy trial and those who would not qualify.
Method:
The authors compared three groups: 123 depressed patients who would qualify for an antidepressant efficacy trial, 289 whose symptom severity was too mild to qualify for an antidepressant efficacy trial, and 187 who would be excluded because they were suicidal or had a comorbid anxiety or substance use disorder.
Results:
Compared with patients who would qualify for an antidepressant efficacy trial, patients who would be excluded because of comorbidity or suicidality were a more chronically ill group with more previous episodes, greater psychosocial impairment, and more personality pathology.
Conclusions:
These findings support further caution in generalizing the results from antidepressant efficacy trials to clinical populations.
Related Concept Videos
The Placebo Effect
Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents
Bioequivalence of Drugs: Drugs with Multiple Indications
Electroconvulsive Therapy
Bioavailability Study Design: Healthy Subjects Versus Patients
Depressive Disorders: Etiology
Biological Factors in Depression
Biological predispositions significantly influence the risk of developing depressive disorders. Genetic studies highlight the role of variations in the serotonin transporter...