Remission

Remission is when symptoms drop below the threshold needed for a diagnosis, either partly or fully. It usually means the condition is well controlled, not that treatment can stop.

Definition from Shrinktionary, reviewed by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA, FAPA (last reviewed 2026-06-26). Shrinktionary is the network's language layer and carries the canonical short definition; this page adds the research-context detail below. Full definition on Shrinktionary →

Remission is a higher bar than response. Response means symptoms improved by a meaningful amount. Remission means symptoms have fallen close to a normal range. Remission can be partial, where some symptoms remain, or full. It is usually defined by a score below a set cutoff on a symptom scale.

Remission is one of the most meaningful outcomes a trial can report, because it's closer to what patients actually want, which is to feel well, not just less unwell. A treatment can produce a good response rate but a lower remission rate. The gap between the two is worth noticing.

In an anxiety trial, remission might be defined as a GAD-7 score below 5. A trial could report that 60 percent of patients responded but only 35 percent reached remission.

Different trials define remission with different cutoffs, so remission rates aren't always comparable across studies. Remission is also not the same as cure. Symptoms can return, which is called relapse. Check how long the trial followed people after remission.