Do some antidepressants work faster than others?

Dual-action antidepressants such as mirtazapine and venlafaxine may have a faster onset of therapeutic action compared to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

• Differences in the onset of action exist between various antidepressants, both within and across drug classes.
• Post hoc analyses suggest that dual-action antidepressants may demonstrate an earlier therapeutic effect.
• The earlier onset of mirtazapine appears to be due to its specific antidepressant effects rather than influencing sleep or other symptoms.
• Currently, few studies directly compare mirtazapine and venlafaxine regarding onset of action, and existing studies lack the statistical power to confirm these differences.
• A definitive demonstration of faster onset of action is pending results from clinical studies specifically designed to assess this property.

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