Managing major depressive disorder through the use of adjunct therapies

Although many treatments for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) exist, only half of all patients respond to initial trial of pharmacotherapy and only a third will achieve remission with that trial. First-line therapies for the management of MDD include psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy, alone or in combination. Given the disappointing rates of response and remission to initial therapy, clinicians are looking for methods to improve the management of MDD, such as through the use of adjunct therapies. The first article in this series, by Katzman and Chokka, discusses gaps in the treatment of MDD and proposes measures to change and strengthen future practice guidelines. Epstein et al. summarize the findings of clinical studies, systematic analyses, and reviews of trials supporting the use of adjunct therapy for the treatment of MDD. Velehorschi et al. review emerging research identifying common pathophysiological processes between MDD and three of its comorbidities. Lastly, Cameron and Habert highlight the challenges that primary care physicians face in the management of MDD. Ultimately, the goal of treatment is to not only relieve symptoms of MDD, but achieve sustained remission. This supplement was written to address the issues of less than ideal outcomes and approaches to enhancing response and remission rates.