Pharmacotherapeutic treatment strategies for antidepressant nonresponse

Patients who do not respond to initial antidepressant treatment are more difficult to treat and have lower odds of remission than those who fully or partially respond to initial pharmacotherapy. Potential treatment options for nonresponders include combination and switching strategies, both of which can be done within a single class of medications or across medication classes. Choosing the correct strategy and appropriate pharmaceutical option or options requires consideration of not only algorithm recommendations, but also a variety of variables including, but not limited to, the patient's symptom and side effect profiles.