A comparative study of Duloxetine versus Escitalopram in the treatment of depression

Objective:To observe the efficacy and safety of Duloxetine and Escitalopram in the treatment of depression.Methods:Sixty-six patients with depression were randomly divided into Duloxetine group(n=33) and Escitalopram group(n=33).The patients were treated with Duloxetine(40～60mg/d)or Escitalopram(10～15mg/d) for 6 weeks.The efficacy was assessed with Hamilton depression rating scale(HAMD17) and the side effects were assessed with treatment emergent symptoms scale(TESS).Results: After the first week of treatment,the response rate was 36.36% in Duloxetine group and 33.33% in Escitalopram group without significant difference(P0.05).After the 6-weeks treatment,the response rates in Duloxetine group and Escitalopram group were 93.93% and 90.90% respectively,without significant difference(P0.05).There were no significant difference in side effect between these two groups.Conclusions: Duloxetine and Escitalopram are both effective and safe in the treatment of depression.