A new group of agents, which are referred to as dual-action antidepressants, exert their effects via more than one mechanism of action. These agents appear to be associated with fewer adverse events, such as anxiety and sleep disturbance, compared with conventional antidepressant treatments. Currently, adverse events of this nature are reported by some 80% of patients with depression who are receiving treatment with conventional tricyclic antidepressants or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The improved tolerability of the new agents is likely to lead to fierce competition between the old and the new approaches to therapy. The latest data on the use of dual-action antidepressants were presented at the 9th Congress of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology [Amsterdam, The Netherlands; September 1996].