1. Brief summary of included studies.
| Study ID | Study design/length of study | Number of participants | Severity of COPD | Severity of depression | Treatment/dose | Control group | Setting |
| Borson 1992 | RCT double‐blind 12 weeks |
N = 30 (N = 13 in treatment group, N = 17 in control group) |
Moderate to severe | Depressive symptoms measured by HAM‐D, and depression confirmed by a psychiatric exam (DSM‐III) | TCA ‐ nortriptyline (calculated dose per body weight) | Placebo |
USA Seattle Veterans Affais Medical Centre and private practices in Seattle |
| Eiser 2005 | RCT double‐blind 6 weeks |
N = 28 (N = 14 in treatment group, N = 14 in control group) |
Moderate to severe | Symptoms measured by BDI, HADS, and MADRS, and depression confirmed by a psychiatric interview (IDC‐10) | SSRI ‐ paroxetine (20 mg daily) | Placebo |
UK Lewisham Hospital Chest Clinic London |
| He 2016 | RCT double‐blind 6 weeks |
N = 120 (N = 60 in treatment group, N = 60 in control group) |
Stage 1 and above | Symptoms measured by HAM‐D‐17 | SSRI ‐ sertraline (50 mg daily) | Placebo |
China Department of Respiratory Medicine, Huai’an Second Hospital |
| Lacasse 2004 | RCT double‐blind 12 weeks |
N = 23 (N = 12 in treatment group, N = 11 in control group) |
Severe | Symptoms measured by GDS, and depression confirmed by a psychiatric interview | SSRI ‐ paroxetine (starting dose 5 mg daily, ending dose 20 mg daily) |
Placebo |
Canada Quebec City Respiratory Home Care Service, Hospital Laval |
BDI: Beck Depression Inventory DSM‐III: third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders GDS: Geriatric Depression Scale HADS: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale HAM‐D: Hamilton Depression Rating Scale HAM‐D‐17: 17‐item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale ICD‐10: Tenth Revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems MADRS: Montgomery‐Asberg Depression Score RCT: randomized controlled trial SSRI: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor TCA: tricyclic antidepressant