Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of fluvoxamine in the treatment of delusional depression.
Method: Fifty-nine inpatients who met the DSM-III-R criteria for major depression with psychotic features were treated with fluvoxamine for 6 weeks. Patients were assessed at baseline and weekly thereafter with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and the Dimensions of Delusional Experience rating scale.
Results: Of the 57 subjects completed the trial, 84.2% (N=48) recovered. The index episodes of the patients who did not respond to fluvoxamine were of significantly longer duration than those of the responders.
Conclusions: Fluvoxamine has a response rate similar to that of the currently most efficacious treatments for delusional depression, including antidepressants plus antipsychotics and ECT.