Do antidepressants help?

Long-term use of antidepressants did not improve the physical or mental health of people with depression, according to a news study published in the journal PLOS ONE

Among people with depression, those taking antidepressants did not have a better quality of life in the long run

Over time, antidepressant use did not significantly improve health-related quality of life compared with non-medicated depressed patients

Depression has a well-established impact on patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL)

In the new study, the researchers used data from the 2005-2015 U.

Antidepressant use was associated with improvements in the psychological component of SF-12, a survey that tracks health-related quality of life

The study could not analyze any subtype or degree of depression in isolation

The authors added: "While we still need our patients with depression to continue using antidepressants, long-term studies are needed to assess the actual impact of pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions on the quality of life of these patients