Insights for the treatment of depression in the Brazilian Public Health System
Keywords:
Depression , Brazilian Public Health SystemAbstract
A recent article published by Cleare et al. (LQD Study Group. Clinical and cost-effectiveness of lithium versus quetiapine augmentation for treatment-resistant depression: a pragmatic, open-label, parallel-group, randomised controlled superiority trial in the UK. Lancet Psychiatry. 2025;12(4):276–88) provides valuable insights into the pharmacological management of treatment-resistant depression (TRD), particularly regarding the use of adjunctive agents. The study found that, over a 52-week follow-up period, participants treated with adjunctive quetiapine, compared to those receiving lithium, exhibited significantly lower depressive symptom severity, reduced healthcare costs, greater gains in Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs), and no differences in discontinuation rates. These findings raise important considerations for the treatment of depressive episodes within the Brazilian Public Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde, SUS), especially in cases of TRD.
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