| Level I | Good quality evidence |
Systematic review of RCTs with consistent findings High quality individual RCT |
| Level II |
Limited quality patient orientated evidence |
Systematic review of lower quality studies or studies with inconsistent findings Low quality clinical trial Cohort studies Case-control studies |
| Level III | Other |
Consensus guidelines, extrapolations from bench research, usual practice, opinion, disease-oriented evidence (intermediate or physiologic outcomes only), or case series |
[14] SSRIs, oral (depression): SSRIs (Therapeutic class): National Department of Health: Affordable Medicines, EDP-PHC and Adult Hospital level. Medicine Review: SSRIs, therapeutic class for anxiety and depression, October 2017. http://www.health.gov.za/
SSRIs, oral (depression): Cipriani A, Furukawa TA, Salanti G, Chaimani A, Atkinson LZ, Ogawa Y, Leucht S, Ruhe HG, Turner EH, Higgins JPT, Egger M, Takeshima N, Hayasaka Y, Imai H, Shinohara K, Tajika A, Ioannidis JPA, Geddes JR. Comparative efficacy and acceptability of 21 antidepressant drugs for the acute treatment of adults with major depressive disorder: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Lancet. 2018 Apr 7;391(10128):1357-1366. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29477251
SSRIs, oral (depression): Magni LR, Purgato M, Gastaldon C, Papola D, Furukawa TA, Cipriani A, Barbui C. Fluoxetine versus other types of pharmacotherapy for depression. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013 Jul 17;(7):CD004185. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24353997
SSRIs, oral (depression): Thorlund K, Druyts E, Wu P, Balijepalli C, Keohane D, Mills E. Comparative efficacy and safety of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors in older adults: a network meta-analysis. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2015;63(5):1002-9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25945410