[Target symptoms in the utilization of antidepressants]

The authors intend to bring their contribution to the controversial question of target symptoms in the use of antidepressants. An extensive literature is analyzed, and, for comparative purposes, only works in double blind are chosen that use a specific rating scale (H.D.R.S.) in such a way as to obtain results referable to homogeneous symptoms on the phenomenal level and therefore qualitatively comparable among themselves. Each item of the H.D.R.S. is compared to the target symptom only if the relative score shows a statistically significant decrease, not only in comparison to the length of treatment, but above all in comparison with other antidepressants. On the grounds of the data obtained from this methodology, it is postulated that the relation between the action of a drug and the positive response to treatment is not to be placed in comparison with phenomenal traits, but in comparison with psychopathological processes that would make up the effective targets of the action of a drug.