Adjunctive Antidepressant Maintenance in Bipolar I Depression

To the Editor: In the trial by Yatham et al. (Aug. 3 issue)(1) involving patients with bipolar I disorder, the duration of remission from an acute major depressive episode was defined as 2 to 8 weeks. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5), a minimal duration of a full remission is at least 2 consecutive months without clinically significant signs or symptoms of depression.(2) If patients had clinically significant depressive symptoms between 2 to 8 weeks after an acute major depressive episode, perhaps they should have been classified as being in partial rather than . . .