Recent Advances in the Treatment of Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Narrative Review of Literature Published from 2018 to 2023
Current Psychiatry Reports April 1, 2024 John L. Havlik, Syed Wahid, Kayla M. Teopiz et al. 30 citations
Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) has historically had very limited options, but recent advances have expanded knowledge of effective interventions. Psychotherapy can help as an add-on but not alone. Adjunctive non-antidepressant drugs like buprenorphine and antipsychotics show little recent support; side effects and high discontinuation rates may outweigh benefits. Strong recent evidence supports interventional approaches: electroconvulsive therapy, ketamine/esketamine, and transcranial magnetic stimulation. Research on TRD should use internationally defined inclusion criteria for generalizable results.