Table 1.
Study Characteristics
| SSRI Studies | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study | SSRI Type | Dosage (mg) |
RCT | Length of Treatment (weeks) |
Sample Size |
% Female |
Mean Age (SD) |
Psychiatric Comorbidity |
Medically Comorbid Sample |
QOL Measure |
Depressi on Measure |
Risk of Bias SG AC ID SR Total |
| Aberg-Wistedt et al, 2000 | Sertraline Paroxetine |
83 27 |
Yes | 24 | 353 | 67.5 | 42.5 (NA) |
Unknown | No | BQOL | MADRS | ? ? ? ✓? |
| Bellino et al, 2006 | Fluoxetine | 20–40 | Yes | 24 | 19 | 62.5 | 26.4 (3.7) |
All Borderline Pers. Disorder | No | SAT-P | Ham-D | ? ? X ✓ X |
| Demyttenaere et al, 2008 | Escitalopram | 10–20 | Yes | 8 | 523 | 56.4 | 40 (11.5) |
Unknown | No | QLESQ | MADRS | ? ? ? ✓ ? |
| Gleason et al, 2002 | Citalopram | 26.7 | No | 8 | 15 | 33.3 | 42.6 (6.4) |
Unknown | Hepatitis C | SF-36 | SCL-90 | X ? X ✓ X |
| Ishak et al, 2013 | Citalopram | NA | No | 12 | 2280 | 62.8 | NA | Unknown | No | QLESQ | QIDS-SR | X ? ? ✓ X |
| Lewis-Fernandez et al, 2013 | Sertraline | NA | No | 12 | 42 | 52 | 39.8 (12.2) |
Unknown | No | QLESQ | Ham-D | X ? X ✓ X |
| Nicolau et al, 2013 | Citalopram | 20 | No | 26 | 38 | 52 | 60.4 (10.7) |
Allowed but unknown | Type 2 diabetes | SF-36 | BDI | X X ? ✓ X |
| Paile-Hyvärinen et al, 2003 | Paroxetine | 20 | Yes | 10 | 7 | 100 | 61.1 (8.6) |
Unknown | Type 2 diabetes | RAND-36 | MADRS | ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ |
| Peveler et al, 2005 | Fluoxetine Sertraline Citalopram Paroxetine |
20.7 66.1 19.4 21.6 |
Yes | 12 | 87 | 71 | 44.6 (NA) |
Allowed but unknown | No | SF-36 | HADS-D | X ✓ ✓ ✓ X |
| Rabkin et al, 1994 | Sertraline | 120 | No | 8 | 20 | 5 | 41.0 (6.6) |
No comorbid anxiety allowed | HIV positive | QLESQ | Ham-D | X ? X ✓ X |
| Saveanu et al, 2015 | Escitalopram Sertraline |
12.3 61.1 |
Yes | 8 | 672 | 54.9 | 38.1 (12.45) |
Comorbid anxiety: 41.4% | No | WHOQOL | Ham-D | ✓ ? ✓ ✓ ? |
| Shelton et al, 2006 | Sertraline | 50 | Yes | 8 | 82 | 46 | 41.2 (12.0) |
Allowed but unknown | No | QLESQ | Ham-D | ? ? ? ✓ ? |
| Trivedi et al, 2004 | Paroxetine CR | 25 | Yes | 8 | 148 | 59.5 | 39.4 (10.8) |
Allowed but unknown | No | QLESQ | Ham-D | ✓ ✓ X ✓ X |
| CBT Studies | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study | CBT Form at |
Dose of Treat. (hours) |
Length of Treat. (weeks) |
RCT | Sample Size |
% Female |
Mean Age (SD) |
Psychiatric Medication Use |
Psychiatric Comorbidity |
Medically Comorbid Sample |
QOL Measure |
Depression Measure |
Risk of Bias SG AC ID SR Total |
| Almlöv et al, 2009 | Comp | NA | NA | Yes | 103 | 77.7 | 40.8 (13.6) |
Unknown | Unknown | No | QOLI | BDI-II | ? ? ? ✓ ? |
| Brothers et al, 2011 | Ind. | 11 | 26 | No | 36 | 92 | 49.0 (11.0) |
Unspecified: 35.8% | Comorbid anxiety: 53% | Cancer | SF-36 | Ham-D | X ? X ✓ X |
| Craigie & Nathan, 2007 | Group | 20 | 10 | No | 115 | 71.3 | 38.6 (11.8) |
Any: 76.2% | Panic, GAD, SAD, OCD, PTSD | No | QLESQ | BDI-II | ✓ ? ? ✓ X |
| Craigie et al 2009 | Ind. | 8.4 | NA | No | 116 | 60 | 34.0 (11.5) |
Any: 69% | Any: 54%, comorbid anxiety: 47% | No | QLESQ | BDI-II | X ? ✓ ✓ X |
| Dobkin et al, 2011 | Ind. | 12.5 | 10 | Yes | 41 | 39 | 63.7 (9.9) |
Anti-depressants: 54% | Comorbid anxiety: 63% | Parkinson’s | SF-36 | Ham-D | ✓ ? ✓ ✓ ? |
| Freedland et al, 2009 | Ind. | 12 | 12 | Yes | 41 | 56 | 62.0 (11.0) |
Anti-depressants: 54% | Unknown | Coronary artery bypass surgery recoverers | SF-36 | Ham-D | ✓ ✓ ✓✓ ✓ |
| Hopko et al, 2008 | Ind. | 9 | 9 | No | 13 | 84.6 | 52.2 (10.9) |
Anti-depressant or antianxiety medication: 61.5% | GAD 54%; SAD 23%; panic 8%, OCD 8%; specific phobia 8%; anxiety NOS 8% | Cancer | QOLI | Ham-D | X ? ✓ ✓ X |
| Hopko et al, 2011 | Ind. | 8 | 12 | Yes | 42 | 100 | 56.4 (11.1) | Anti-depressant or antianxiety medication: 57% | GAD 50%; SAD 10%; PTSD: 5%, specific phobia 5%, panic 5%, anxiety NOS 3%. | Cancer | QOLI | Ham-D | ✓ ? ✓ ✓ ? |
| Jha et al, 2015 | Ind | 18 | 12 | No | 492 | 68.1 | 42.6 | Unknown | Unknown | No | QLESQ | Ham-D | X ? ✓ ✓ X |
| Johansson et al, 2012 | Comp | NA | 10 | Yes | 36 | 74.4 | 45.7 (10.9) |
Anti-depressants: 23.1% | Any 97%; anxiety disorder 62% | No | QOLI | BDI-II | ✓ ? ✓ ✓ ? |
| Johansson et al, 2013 | Comp | NA | 12 | No | 44 | 68.2 | 45.2 (13.0) |
Any: 20.4% | Any anxiety disorder 50%; SAD 30%; GAD 23%; panic 5%; OCD 2% | No | QOLI | BDI-II | X ? ✓ ✓ X |
| Kanter et al, 2015 | Ind. | NA | 12 | Yes | 21 | 76.2 | 38.7 (11.7) |
Not allowed | Any: 33.3% | No | QLESQ | Ham-D | ✓ ? ✓ ✓ ? |
| Laidlaw et al, 2008 | Ind. | NA | 8 | Yes | 20 | 60 | 74 (8.39) |
Not allowed | Any: 10% | No | WHO-QOL | Ham-D | ✓ ? ? ✓ ? |
| Lemmens et al, 2015 | Ind. | NA | 18 | Yes | 76 | 71.1 | 41.2 (12.4) |
Not allowed | Unknown | No | SF-36 | BDI-II | ✓✓✓✓ ✓ |
| Levin et al, 2011 | Comp | 4.3 | 6 | Yes | 100 | 78 | 44 (13.3) |
Unknown | Comorbid anxiety disorder 45%, substance abuse 13% | No | PES | CES-D | ✓? ✓ ✓ ? |
| McEvoy et al, 2013 | Group | 20 | 10 | No | 142 | 68.1 | 38.6 (13.7) |
Any: 82.5% | Any 66%; GAD 28%; SAD: 22%, dysthymia 19%, panic 10% | No | QLESQ | BDI-II | X ? ✓ ✓ X |
| Oei & McAlinden, 2014 | Group | 28 | 4 | No | 53 | 66 | 44.3 (11.6) |
Any: 71.2% | Unknown | No | QOLI | ZSDS | X ? ✓ ✓ X |
| Parker et al, 2013 | Ind. | 10 | 12 | Yes | 11 | 72.7 | 48.0 (9.5) |
Not allowed | Unknown | No | QLESQ-SF | Ham-D | ✓ ✓ ? ✓ ? |
| Qiu et al, 2013 | Group | 20 | 10 | Yes | 31 | 100 | 51.7 (6.0) |
Not allowed | Unknown | Breast cancer | FACT-B | Ham-D | ✓ ? ✓ ✓ ? |
| Richards et al, 2016 | Ind. | 12.5 | 16 | Yes | 168 | 68 | 43 (14.1) |
Antidepressants: 79% | Unknown | No | SF-36 | PHQ-9 | ✓✓✓✓ ✓ |
| Saulsman et al, 2006 | Group | 20 | 10 | Yes | 109 | 69 | 36.3 (11.0) |
Any: 77% | All: 74% | No | QLESQ | BDI-II | ? ? ? ✓ ? |
| Swan et al, 2009 | Group | 20 | 10 | No | 49 | 65.5 | 38.1 (11.5) |
Any: 76.7% | Any 59%; panic 14%, GAD 25%; OCD 3%; SAD 22%; simple phob. 2%; substance abuse 2% | No | QLESQ | BDI-II | X ? X ✓ X |
| Vilhauer et al, 2013 | Group | 30 | 10 | No | 20 | 65 | 52.4 (13.5) |
Any: 90% | Personality disorder 10%; anxiety disorder 50%; substance abuse 10%; psychosis 5% | No | QLESQ-SF | QIDS | X ? ✓ ✓ X |
| Watson & Nathan 2008 | Ind. | 11 | 11 | No | 90 | 61.5 | 34.5 (11.7) |
Any: 73% | Any: 64%; panic 16%; GAD 14%, SAD: 12% | No | QLESQ | BDI-II | X ? ✓ ✓ X |
Note. Definitions of abbreviations are listed below:
Quality of life measures: BQOL= Battelle Quality of Life Questionnaire (Revicki, Turner, Brown, & Martindale, 1992); FACT-B = Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – Breast (Wang, Zhang, & Tang, 2003); PES = Pleasant Events Schedule, Mood-Related subscale (MacPhillamy, & Lewinsohn, 1982); QLESQ = Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire (Endicott, Nee, Harrison, & Blumenthal, 1993); QLESQ-SF = Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire – Short Form (Endicott, Nee, Harrison, & Blumenthal, 1993); QOLI = Quality of Life Inventory (Frisch, MClark, Rouse, Rudd, Paweleck, Greenstone, & Kopplin, 2005); RAND-36 = The RAND-36 Measure of Health-Related Quality of Life (Hays, Sherbourne, & Mazel, 1993); SAT-P= Satisfaction Profile for quality of life (Majani, et al., 1999); SF-36 = The Short Form (36) Health Survey (Ware, & Sherbourne, 1992); WHOQOL= The World Health Organization Quality of Life (World Health Organization, 1995).
Depression measures: BDI = Beck Depression Inventory (Beck, Ward, Mendelson, Mock, & Erbaugh, 1961); BDI-II = Beck Depression Inventory – II (Beck, Steer, & Brown,1996); CES-D = Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (Radloff, 1977); Ham-D = Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (Hamilton, 1960); HADS-D = Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale – Depression subscale (Zigmond, & Snaith, 1983); MADRS = Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (Montgomery, & Asberg, 1979); PHQ-9 = Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (Kroencke, Spitzer & Williams, 2001); SCL-90 = Symptom Checklist 90 – depression section (Derogatis, 2000); QIDS–SR = Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology–Self Report (Rush, et al., 2003); ZSDS = Zung Self-Reported Depression Scale (Zung, 1965).
Pscyhiatric Comorbidity: GAD = Generalized Anxiety Disorder; OCD = Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; SAD = Social Anxiety Disorder; Anxiety NOS = Anxiety Not Otherwsie Specified; PTSD = Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
Risk of Bias: SG = Sequence Generation; AC = Allocation Concealment; ID = Incomplete Outcome Data; SR = Selective Outcome Reporting; X = High Risk of Bias; ? = Unclear Risk of Bias; ✓ = Low Risk of Bias.