Abstract: Objective  To compare the effects of escitalopram and venlafaxine on the social function in patients with depression. Methods  A total of 100 patients who met the diagnostic criteria of depression were randomly divided into two groups and treated with escitalopram and venlafaxine respectively. The therapeutic efficacy was measured with Hamilton depression scale (HAMD-17); the improvement of social function was measured with Sheehan disability scale (SDS) and the short form-36 health survey (SF-36). The side effects were evaluated by the treatment emergent symptom scale (TESS). Results  There were no significant differences in the HAMD scores between the two groups at each interview time (P>0.05), but the scores of HAMD in both groups decreased significantly compared with the baseline (P<0.01). There were no significant differences in the effective rate and remission rate after 8 weeks of treatment between the two groups (P>0.05). There were marked differences in scores of SDS and social functions factor scores of SF-36 at the end of the 8th week and the baseline in both groups (P<0.01), but no significant differences before treatment and after 8 weeks of therapy (P>0.05). Conclusion  Both escitalopram and venlafaxine can effectively improve the social function in patients with depression, with no statistically significant differences between them.

Key words: Venlafaxine, Depression, Social function, Escitalopram