Melatonin and agomelatine for preventing seasonal affective disorder
Nussbaumer-Streit B, Greenblatt A, Kaminski-Hartenthaler A
Published in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
Methodology
Cochrane systematic review of randomised controlled trials of melatonin or agomelatine for prevention of seasonal affective disorder in adults; GRADE assessment; searches to 2018.
Key Findings
The updated Cochrane review found no eligible randomised trials of melatonin for preventing seasonal affective disorder, and only one small trial (150 participants) of agomelatine, which was at high risk of bias and provided very low certainty evidence of any preventive effect.
Conclusions
Given the uncertain evidence on agomelatine and the absence of studies on melatonin, no conclusion about efficacy and safety of agomelatine and melatonin for prevention of SAD can currently be drawn.
Limitations
Zero melatonin trials identified; the single agomelatine study was open-label and at high risk of attrition bias; certainty of evidence rated very low; no usable data on adverse effects or long-term outcomes.
Supplements Studied
Given the uncertain evidence on agomelatine and the absence of studies on melatonin, no conclusion about efficacy and safety of agomelatine and melatonin for prevention of SAD can currently be drawn.
Related Health Concerns
Study Details
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Disclosures
Funding
Cochrane Common Mental Disorders Group (institutional support)
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