Table 1.

Evidence-Based Medicine Estimates for Risks and Benefits of SSRI Doing Strategies for Major Depression

Dose Category		Placebo	Subtherapeutic SSRI	Low-dose SSRI	Placebo	Subtherapeutic SSRI	Low-dose SSRI
Subtherapeutic	<100mg	1.72 (1.44–2.07)			2.23 (1.91–2.62)
Low-Dose	100–199mg	2.02 (1.69–2.41)	1.17 (0.98–1.40)		3.16 (2.76–3.62)	1.42 (1.24–1.62)
Medium Dose	200–249mg	2.72 (2.08–3.54)	1.58 (1.17–2.06)	1.35 (1.00–1.70)	5.07 (4.34–5.91)	2.27 (1.95–2.65)	1.60 (1.37–1.87)
High Dose	>250mg	2.65 (2.22–3.17)	1.54 (1.29–1.84)	1.31 (1.07–1.52)	3.06 (2.65–3.52)	1.37 (1.18–1.58)	0.97 (0.84–1.11)
Dose Category		Actual NNT of Treatment Response*			Estimated NNT based on Effect Size*
		Placebo	Subtherapeutic SSRI	Low-dose SSRI	Placebo	Subtherapeutic SSRI	Low-dose SSRI
Subtherapeutic	<100mg	8 (6–11)			5 (4–6)
Low-Dose	100–199mg	6 (5–8)	27 (12–∞)		4 (3–4)	12 (9–20)
Medium Dose	200–249mg	4 (3–6)	9 (6–27)	14 (8–∞)	3 (2–3)	5 (4–6)	9 (7–13)
High Dose	>250mg	4 (4–5)	10 (7–17)	16 (10–64)	4 (3–4)	13 (9–26)	No Benefit*
Dose Category		Actual OR of Dropout Due to Side-Effects			Actual OR of All Cause Dropout
		Placebo	Subtherapeutic SSRI	Low-dose SSRI	Placebo	Subtherapeutic SSRI	Low-dose SSRI
Subtherapeutic	<100mg	1.56 (1.08–2.25)			0.82 (0.67–1.01)
Low-Dose	100–199mg	2.22 (1.68–2.94)	1.42 (1.08–1.88)		1.09 (0.92–1.29)	1.33 (1.12–1.57)
Medium Dose	200–249mg	3.16 (2.32–4.32)	2.02 (1.49–2.77)	1.42 (1.04–1.95)	0.80 (0.68–0.95)	0.98 (0.83–1.16)	0.73 (0.62–0.87)
High Dose	>250mg	3.08 (2.29–4.14)	1.97 (1.47–2.65)	1.39 (1.03–1.86)	0.75 (0.64–0.87)	0.91 (0.78–1.07)	0.69 (0.59–0.80)
Dose Category		Actual NNH of Dropout Due to Side-Effects
		Placebo	Subtherapeutic SSRI	Low-dose SSRI
Subtherapeutic	<100mg	34 (16–230)
Low-Dose	100–199mg	16 (10–28)	45 (22–230)
Medium Dose	200–249mg	10 (7–15)	19 (11–38)	45 (20–459)
High Dose	>250mg	10 (7–15)	20 (12–40)	48 (22–611)

Table 1 describes the Odds Ratios (OR) and Number Needed to Treat/Harm (NNT/NNH) for SSRI dosing strategies compared to each other and placebo.