Methods	8 week randomised double blind study
Participants	Diagnosis: DSM-IV major depressive disorder Setting: Outpatients
Interventions	1. Mirtazapine: 15-45 mg/day, N = 124 2. Sertraline: 50-200 mg/day, N = 126 Flexible dosing scheduling
Outcomes	The measure used for response and remission in the review: 17-item HAM-D Other measures: Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology - Self-Report Scale, Social Adaptation Self-evaluation Scale, CGI-Severity, CGI-Efficacy
Notes
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors’ judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Quote: “randomised” Comment: No further information provided.
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Comment: The method of allocation is not described.
Blinding (performance bias and detection bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Quote: “double-blind” Comment: No further information provided.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	High risk	More than 20% of the allocated participants to both of the intervention arms dropped out during the study
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Low risk	The response and remission outcomes at the end of acute-phase treatment are provided as the proportion of the participants who achieved these
Free of Sponsorship bias?	High risk	The funding source is the pharmaceutical company of mirtazapine