Initial sertraline dose during the acute phase was either 25 mg or 50 mg daily with increases of 25 to 50 mg every 2 weeks at the treating clinicians' discretion, up to a maximum of 200 mg daily. For responders who entered the continuation phase and had some re-emergence of symptoms without relapse, dose increases with sertraline were permitted every 2 weeks to a maximum dose of 200 mg daily but only during the first 8 weeks of the continuation phase. If a subject experienced side effects, one dose decrease was permitted in the first 8 weeks of the continuation phase. Subjects who maintained response during continuation were then randomized to continue sertraline or to take placebo. In the placebo group, sertraline was tapered by 25% of the initial dose every week for the first 4 weeks of the maintenance phase. During the maintenance phase, no treatment changes were permitted.