Substance-abuse treatable with fluoxetine and therapy

The antidepressant fluoxetine, combined with cognitive behavioural therapy, appears as effective for treating depression among teens who also have substance-abuse disorders, as among those without substance-abuse problems, according to a new report. In the study, doctors involved 126 teenagers who met diagnostic criteria for a major depressive disorder, lifetime conduct disorder and at least one substance-abuse disorder other than tobacco. {openx:269} The adolescents were randomly assigned to receive either 20mg of fluoxetine daily or placebo, along with cognitive behavioural therapy, a type of psychotherapy addressing the way individuals currently think and act rather than past events. At the end of…