[Long-term treatment with an antidepressant. Objectives and side effects]

The value of long-term therapy in recurrent affective disorders has been investigated in various pharmacological studies. These studies demonstrated the efficacity of various antidepressant drugs on preventing relapse and recurrence and when compared to placebo. Prolonged treatment with antidepressant may have deleterious side effects, such as rapid cycling phenomena or increased risk of suicide. The need for long-term antidepressant treatment must be discussed on an individual basis.