Journal of addictive diseases
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
The effect of nicotine patch therapy on depression in nonsmokers: a preliminary study.
Prior uncontrolled studies of nonsmokers with major depressive disorder (MDD) indicate rapid reduction in depressive symptoms with nicotine patch therapy. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study examined the effect of nicotine patch therapy on depressive symptoms in non-medicated nonsmokers with current MDD. Due to recruitment difficulties, only 7 were enrolled and of these 6 (5 females, 1 male) completed the study. ⋯ Similar decreases in HRSD scores were observed for placebo and active patch groups. Among the placebo participants, the mean HRSD score decreased (p = 0.038) by Day 2. The study needs replication with a larger sample and utilizing novel recruitment strategies.