The overall treatment success rate was 69.32% for escitalopram and 64.56% for fluoxetine, in one model, and 73.76% for escitalopram and 70.64% for venlafaxine, in the second model. From the societal perspective, the total costs were THB 17,460 for escitalopram and THB 19,462 for fluoxetine in the first model and THB 15,994 for escitalopram and THB 17,762 in the second model. Escitalopram was, in both cases, dominant or the most effective and least costly treatment.
In the first model comparing escitalopram with fluoxetine, the results were only slightly sensitive to variation in the remission rate, remission rate after titration, and duration of hospitalisation. In the second model, comparing escitalopram with venlafaxine, the results were slightly sensitive to variation in the odds ratio for remission on escitalopram versus venlafaxine, the odds ratio for relapse on escitalopram and citalopram versus the everyday practice, and the number of psychiatrist visits.
The probabilistic sensitivity analysis demonstrated that escitalopram dominated fluoxetine in 99% of cases and it dominated venlafaxine in 88.2% of cases.