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. 2023 May 10;2023(5):CD014682. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD014682.pub2

Summary of findings 3. Mood summary of findings.

Estimates of effects, credible intervals, and certainty of the evidence of antidepressants on mood in people with chronic pain
Bayesian network meta‐analysis summary of findings table
Patient or population: people with chronic pain
Interventions: duloxetine (all doses combined), milnacipran (all doses combined), mirtazapine (all doses combined)
Comparator (reference): placebo
Outcome: change in mood (depression, anxiety, distress) scores as measured on various scales including the Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, SF‐36 Mental Component Score, and the SF‐36 Mental Health Subscale
Direction: lower is better (i.e. a greater reduction of distress, depression, or anxiety)
Total studies: 38
Total participants: 12,985
Relative effect Anticipated absolute effect (event rate) Certainty of the evidence (CINeMA) Ranking*
(2.5% to 97.5% credible interval)
Interpretation of findings**
With placebo With intervention Difference
Mirtazapine
RCTs: 1
Participants: 406
SMD0.5
(−0.78 to −0.22)
Lowe 4 (2 to 7) Moderate effect
Duloxetine
RCTs: 26
Participants: 7952
SMD0.16
(−0.22 to −0.1)
Moderatea 8 (5 to 11) Small effect
Milnacipran
RCTs: 5
Participants: 3109
SMD0.13
(−0.26 to 0.01)
Moderatea,c 9 (5 to 13) Not significantly different from placebo
Network meta‐analysis‐summary of findings table definitions
*Mean rank and credible intervals are presented.
**SMD interpretation based on clinical judgement and in line with Cohen 1988 and the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions (Schünemann 2022) as small (0.2), moderate (0.5) and large (0.8).
CI: confidence interval; CINeMA: Confidence in Network Meta‐Analysis; RCT: randomised controlled trial; SMD: standardised mean difference
The number of participants for each antidepressant reflects the total number of participants taking the antidepressant or placebo from the studies in the network meta‐analysis.
CINeMA grades of confidence in the evidence
High: further research is unlikely to change our confidence in the estimate of effect.
Moderate: further research is likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and may change the estimate.
Low: further research is very likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and is likely to change the estimate.
Very low: we are very uncertain about the estimate.

aDowngraded due to within‐study bias.
bDowngraded due to imprecision in the estimate.
cDowngraded due to heterogeneity in the estimate.
dDowngraded due to incoherence in the network.
eDowngraded due to a small number of trials and participants; we cannot draw reliable conclusions.