Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42474552›Full record

SynthesisArchives of women's mental health2026

The efficacy of antidepressant medication versus interpersonal psychotherapy for depression in middle-aged women: a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis.

Sanne N E van Haaren, Zachary D Cohen, Jasmijn Breunese, Frederik J Wienicke, John C Markowitz, Erica S Weitz, Steven D Hollon, Dillon T Browne, Paula Rucci, Carolina Corda and 12 more

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Archives of women's mental health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

22 authors.

Sanne N E van HaarenPro Persona Mental Health Care, Wolfheze, Netherlands. sanne.van.haaren1@outlook.com.
Zachary D CohenDepartment of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA.
Jasmijn BreuneseBehavioural Science Institute, Department of Clinical Psychology, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands.
Frederik J WienickeBehavioural Science Institute, Department of Clinical Psychology, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands.
John C MarkowitzVagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, USA.
Erica S WeitzDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.
Steven D HollonDepartment of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, USA.
Dillon T BrowneDepartment of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada.
Paula RucciDepartment of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Carolina CordaDepartment of Experimental, Diagnostic and Speciality Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Marco MenchettiDepartment of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Myrna M WeissmanNew York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, USA.
R Michael BagbyDepartment of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Lena C QuiltyCampbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada.
Marc B J BlomParnassia Groep, The Hague, Netherlands.
Mario AltamuraDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.
Ingo ZobelPsychology School, Hochschule Fresenius, University of Applied Sciences Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Elisabeth SchrammFaculty of Medicine, Medical Centre, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Carlos GoisDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
Jos W R TwiskDepartment of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam UMC Location VUmc, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Pim CuijpersDepartment of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Ellen DriessenPro Persona Mental Health Care, Wolfheze, Netherlands. ellen.driessen@ru.nl.

Funding

Dutch Research Council (NWO) 016.Veni.195.215 6806
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeDepression is highly prevalent in middle-aged women (MAW), but head-to-head comparisons of first-line interventions in this population are scarce. This systematic review and individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis examined the comparative efficacy of antidepressant medication (ADM) and interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) for MAW (aged 40-64) versus other adults (men and non-MAW) on depression, quality of life, and interpersonal problem measures.

methodsPubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched January 1, 2025 to identify randomized trials comparing ADM and IPT for adults with depression. IPD were requested and analyzed using mixed-effects models.

resultsIPD were obtained from 9 of the 15 (60%) identified studies, comprising 1,490 participants (527 MAW, 963 other adults). MAW status did not significantly moderate ADM versus IPT comparative efficacy on depression (p = .10) and interpersonal problems (p = .29) outcomes. The two treatments did not significantly differ in treatment effect in the MAW group (depression: b = -0.03, p = .76; interpersonal problems: b = -0.20, p = .31). MAW status significantly moderated comparative efficacy on quality of life measures (b = 0.37, p = .02). Whereas IPT was non-significantly more efficacious than ADM for MAW (b = -0.18, p = .15), ADM were non-significantly more efficacious than IPT for other adults (b = 0.19, p = .051).

conclusionThis is the first IPD meta-analysis directly comparing depression treatments in MAW. The absence of treatment effect differences indicates that other factors (e.g., patient preference) may guide choice between IPT and ADM in this population.

Indexed as

Antidepressive AgentsDepressionInterpersonal PsychotherapyPsychotherapyAdultFemaleHumansInterpersonal RelationsMiddle AgedQuality of LifeRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTreatment OutcomeAntidepressive AgentsAntidepressant medicationDepressionInterpersonal psychotherapyMiddle-aged women

Identifiers

PMID42474552
PMCPMC13384990

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.