Abstract

Background: Depression is a considerable global public health problem and is a major cause of disability and premature death. It results in poor quality of life in patients and caregivers.

Objective: The present study was conducted to compare efficacy and safety of amisulpride and escitalopram, using Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) among depression patients in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Nepal.

Material and Methods: This study was conducted in the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Nepalgunj Medical College and a tertiary care teaching hospital in Nepal for a period of 1 year. A total of 117 depression patients were randomly selected and divided into two groups. Group I (58 patients) received amisulpride 50 mg/day orally and Group II (59 patients) were given escitalopram 10 mg/day orally. The patients were followed up at 4, 8, and 15 weeks. The efficacy of the drugs was calculated by HAM-D. Adverse drug reactions were monitored at every follow-up. GraphPad Instat, version 3.0, tool was used for statistical analysis and p-value

Key words: Depression, amisulpride, escitalopram, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D)