How long should drug treatment of depression last?

To the Editor: The beyondblue guidelines for treating depression in primary care by Ellis and Smith1 are intended to assist both healthcare professionals and consumers. While they provide several helpful indications, they also include some misleading suggestions. The authors state that drug treatment of depression should continue for at least one year for a first episode of depression, and at least two years for repeated episodes or when there are other risk factors for relapse. However, no background literature is cited in support of this statement, and indeed would be difficult to find.