Risperidone Monotherapy for Psychotic Depression Unresponsive to Other Treatments

Sir: Risperidone, an atypical antipsychotic agent, has been reported to yield acute antidepressant effects in certain patients with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or psychotic depression. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that adding risperidone to preexisting antidepressants can improve chronic depression. However, it remains unclear whether risperidone alone is effective in treating psychotic depression resistant to other treatments; earlier reports concerning risperidone monotherapy for psychotic depression did not reveal subjects’ previous treatment responses.