Major depression in renal dialysis patients: an open trial of antidepressant therapy

Eight patients receiving renal dialysis who had concurrent major depression were treated with antidepressant therapy for 7 weeks under controlled clinical conditions. The treatment resulted in a clinically significant recovery from the depression in five patients, improvement in one, and discontinuation of the therapy in the other two. Systematic examination for depression in dialysis patients and the judicious use of an antidepressant such as desipramine are important.