Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD)

What is Treatment-Resistant Depression?

While most standard treatments for Depression are enough to improve a patient’s quality of life, this is unfortunately not always the case. In some cases, traditional therapies do not provide any benefit to an individual suffering from depression. For worse cases, therapies involving antidepressants can even cause undesirable side effects that hinder their daily life. In this circumstance, the patient may have Treatment-Resistant Depression.

With this kind of depression, factors like genetics and lifestyle play a key role in creating a treatment plan. This means a psychiatrist can’t take a one-size-fits-all approach. Thankfully, there are options outside of the realm of medication for those seeking relief from their symptoms. 

Proper diagnosis is key to resolving Treatment-Resistant Depression, so seeing a qualified mental health professional is very important.

What are the common symptoms?

Treatment-Resistant Depression has all of the symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder. The main difference is that TRD’s previous treatments were unsuccessful. The common symptoms are:

  • Excessive sleep or lack of sleep
  • Loss of interest or pleasure 
  • Suicidal thoughts and tendencies
  • Feelings of sorrow, emptiness, hopelessness, and isolation
  • Slowed speech, response, and movement
  • Previous treatment attempts showed no improvement in depression symptoms
  • Side effects of previous treatments were too severe to manage

Treatment Resistant Depression Statistics*

According to the STAR*D study, 36.8% of those who tried one type of antidepressant saw remission.

For those who tried a second type of antidepressant, the remission rate was 30.6%.

After a third type, the remission rate dropped to 13.7%.

*Statistics taken from pubmed.gov via uptodate.com

Treatment Options

Treatment-Resistant Depression is complex, as those with it have tried multiple medications previously. The next step up from antidepressants includes:

TMS Therapy

There is a significant amount of clinical evidence supporting Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Therapy as a method to treat TRD. This treatment has virtually no side effects, unlike antidepressants or Electroconvulsive Therapy. TMS is also a non-invasive procedure, making it convenient and advantageous for those suffering from TRD. Check out our TMS page for more information.

Ketamine

There is clinical evidence supporting Ketamine as a method to treat TRD, though the results may not be as long-lasting as the results from TMS Therapy. Check out our Ketamine page for more information.

ECT

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a highly effective treatment for major depression. However, the adverse side effects, such as memory loss, can be greater than other treatment methods. Because of this, it is important to consult with a physician regarding which treatment would be best for you.

Related Pages – TMS Therapy, Ketamine, Postpartum Depression