[Psychopathologic prediction of ambulatory doxepin response. A replication trial]

This study tries to replicate findings of a previous outpatient study, which revealed some clinical predictors of doxepine response in depressed patients. 314 depressed outpatients were treated by a total of 262 private practice psychiatrists for 6 weeks with 100 mg doxepine daily. The following findings of the previous study could be confirmed: 74% of the patients were therapy responders (score on the Hamilton Depression Scale after 6 weeks less than or equal to 8); unpredictability of diagnostic subtyping into endogenous and non-endogenous depression (clinically according to ICD-9 and operationally according to the Newcastle Scale); response-predictability of the personality assessment as not being deviant, defined according to the Newcastle Scale (no previous "nervous breakdowns", no previous neurotic symptoms, no severe social maladaptation); response-predictability of an improvement after 2 weeks over the initial Hamilton score of greater than or equal to 30%. The practical relevance of these three findings for outpatient therapy with antidepressive drugs is stressed.