Comparative efficacy and tolerability of antidepressants for major depressive disorder in children and adolescents: a…
For under-18s, fluoxetine is the only antidepressant with clear trial evidence - is that why it was chosen, and how will we monitor mood and safety early on?
Top of the evidence hierarchy, independently funded. how we score evidence
In 34 trials covering 5,260 children and adolescents with depression, fluoxetine was the only one of 14 antidepressants clearly more effective than placebo, and it was better tolerated than duloxetine and imipramine.
Worth asking
For under-18s, fluoxetine is the only antidepressant with clear trial evidence - is that why it was chosen, and how will we monitor mood and safety early on?
What it is FDA approved for
Read off the label. Trial duration and approval year are shown only where they were recorded — never inferred.
- Major depressive disorder (acute and maintenance treatment)
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Bulimia nervosa (moderate to severe; binge-eating and vomiting behaviors)
- Panic disorder, with or without agoraphobia
- Depressive episodes associated with bipolar I disorder (in combination with olanzapine)
- Treatment-resistant depression (in combination with olanzapine)
Source
Comparative efficacy and tolerability of antidepressants for major depressive disorder in children and adolescents: a network meta-analysis — Cipriani A, et al. (2016)
Top-tier peer-reviewed journal
Read the source: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30385-3
DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30385-3
How this was scored
- Study design
- Meta-analysis of randomised trials
- Funding
- Independently funded
- Published in
- Top-tier peer-reviewed journal
- Sample size
- 5,260
- Preregistered
- Yes
- Conflicts disclosed
- No
- Independent of proponent
- Yes
- Retracted
- No
Read the full scoring rubric, including what it can't tell you.
Published August 19, 2026.
Questions
How strong is the evidence behind this?
Resolv rates this source "gold standard". Top of the evidence hierarchy, independently funded. It scores 94 out of 100 on our published rubric. The score is calculated from recorded facts about the source — study design, funding, publication venue, sample size, preregistration — not typed in by an editor.
What is the source for this?
Comparative efficacy and tolerability of antidepressants for major depressive disorder in children and adolescents: a network meta-analysis — Cipriani A, et al. (2016). Published in: Top-tier peer-reviewed journal. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30385-3. The full source is linked on this page so you can read it yourself.
Who paid for this research, and does that matter?
Study design: Meta-analysis of randomised trials. Funding: Independently funded. The researchers were independent of whoever benefits from the result. Industry sponsorship is one of the most reliably measured biases in medicine, which is why funding carries real weight in the score rather than sitting in a footnote.
Is fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), prozac, sarafem FDA approved?
Yes — FDA approved for Major depressive disorder (acute and maintenance treatment), Obsessive-compulsive disorder, Bulimia nervosa (moderate to severe; binge-eating and vomiting behaviors), Panic disorder, with or without agoraphobia, Depressive episodes associated with bipolar I disorder (in combination with olanzapine), Treatment-resistant depression (in combination with olanzapine). Approval is for a specific indication, not for everything the drug is prescribed for.
Is this medical advice?
This is information to bring to your prescriber, not medical advice and not a reason to change anything on your own. Nothing here is an instruction to stop or reduce a medication. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.
This is information to bring to your prescriber, not medical advice and not a reason to change anything on your own. Nothing here is an instruction to stop or reduce a medication. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.