Persistence and compliance to antidepressant treatment in patients with depression: A chart review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Adherence has recently been suggested to be divided into these two components: persistence (i.e., whether patients continue treatment or not) and compliance (i.e., whether patients take doses as instructed). However, no study has yet assessed these two clinically relevant components at the same time in adherence to antidepressant treatment in the clinical outpatient setting.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In this retrospective chart-review, 6-month adherence to antidepressants was examined in 367 outpatients with a major depressive disorder (ICD-10) (170 males; mean ± SD age 37.6 ± 13.9 years), who started antidepressant treatment from April 2006 through March 2007. Additionally, we evaluated Medication Possession Rate (MPR), defined as the total days a medication was dispensed to patients divided by the treatment period.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Only 161 patients (44.3%) continued antidepressant treatment for 6 months. Among 252 patients who discontinued their initial antidepressant, 63.1% of these patients did so without consulting their physicians. Sertraline use was associated with a higher persistence rate at month 6 (odds ratio 2.59 in comparison with sulpiride), and the use of anxiolytic benzodiazepines had a positive effect on persistence to antidepressant treatment only at month 1 (odds ratio 2.14). An overall MPR was 0.77; 55.6% of patients were considered compliant (i.e., a MPR of ≥ 0.8).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Given a high rate of antidepressant discontinuation without consulting their physicians, closer communication between patients and their physicians should be encouraged. Although the use of anxiolytic benzodiazepines was associated with a higher persistence to antidepressant treatment at month 1, the use of these drugs should be avoided as a rule, given their well-known serious adverse effects.</p

Screening and diagnosing depression in women visiting GPs' drop in clinic in Primary Health Care

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Only half of all depressions are diagnosed in Primary Health Care (PHC). Depression can remain undetected for a long time and entail high costs for care and low quality of life for the individuals. Drop in clinic is a common form of organizing health care; however the visits are short and focus on solving the most urgent problems. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and severity of depression among women visiting the GPs' drop in clinic and to identify possible clues for depression among women.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The two-stage screening method with "high risk feedback" was used. Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) was used to screen 155 women visiting two GPs' drop in clinic. Women who screened positive (BDI score ≥10) were invited by the GP to a repeat visit. Major depression (MDD) was diagnosed according to DSM-IV criteria and the severity was assessed with Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). Women with BDI score <10 constituted a control group. Demographic characteristics were obtained by questionnaire. Chart notations were examined with regard to symptoms mentioned at the index visit and were categorized as somatic or mental.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The two-stage method worked well with a low rate of withdrawals in the second step, when the GP invited the women to a repeat visit. The prevalence of depression was 22.4% (95% CI 15.6–29.2). The severity was mild in 43%, moderate in 53% and severe in 3%. The depressed women mentioned mental symptoms significantly more often (69%) than the controls (15%) and were to a higher extent sick-listed for a longer period than 14 days. Nearly one third of the depressed women did not mention mental symptoms. The majority of the women who screened as false positive for depression had crisis reactions and needed further care from health professionals in PHC. Referrals to a psychiatrist were few and revealed often psychiatric co-morbidity.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The prevalence of previously undiagnosed depression among women visiting GPs' drop in clinic was high. Clues for depression were identified in the depressed women's symptom presentation; they often mention mental symptoms when they visit the GP for somatic reasons e.g. respiratory infections. We suggest that GPs do selective screening for depression when women mention mental symptoms and offer to schedule a repeat visit for follow-up rather than just recommending that the patient return if the mental symptoms do not disappear.</p

Intensive group cognitive treatment and individual cognitive therapy vs. treatment as usual in social phobia: a randomized controlled trial.

UNLABELLED: To compare the effects of an intensive group cognitive treatment (IGCT) to individual cognitive therapy (ICT) and treatment as usual (TAU) in social phobia (DSM-IV). METHOD: Hundred patients were randomized to: IGCT involving 16 group sessions spread over three weeks; ICT involving 16 shorter weekly sessions in 4 months and; TAU involving an indicated selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) with therapy sessions as required for 1 year. The main outcome measure was a Social Phobia Composite that combined several standardized self-report measures. Diagnostic assessment was repeated at 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: Significant improvements were observed with all treatments. ICT was superior to IGCT and TAU, which did not differ in overall effectiveness. CONCLUSION: The study confirms and extends previously reported findings that ICT is more effective than group cognitive treatment and treatment with SSRIs. IGCT lasts only 3 weeks, and is as effective as more protracted TAU

Compliance with SSRI medication during 6 months of treatment for major depression: an evaluation by determination of repeated serum drug concentrations

Background: A recent estimation in a psychiatric cohort showed numbers of noncompliance between 10% and 60%. Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is one method assessing compliance by analysis of drug concentration in the blood. Method: During a 24-week phase IV clinical trial, five repeated serum samples of sertraline (SERT) and N-desmethylsertraline (DSERT), trough values in steady state, were collected per patient. Previous results show that the intraindividual variation over time of the ratio DSERT/SERT is low. Hence, we hypothesized that significant partial noncompliance could be scrutinized further by an assessment of the DSERT/SERT ratio. The main aim was to test the applicability of a novel type of TDM procedure based on repeated metabolite/parent compound ratio measurements. Result: 9.4% of the per-protocol population in the trial (n = 96) were in either hidden total (n = 4) or hidden partial (n = 5) noncompliance. Only by using the novel TDM ratio screening method could a majority of these patients be identified

Serum disposition of sertraline, N-desmethylsertraline and paroxetine: A pharmacokinetic evaluation of repeated drug concentration measurements during 6 months of treatment for major depression

Sertraline and paroxetine are frequently prescribed SSRIs for long-term treatment of major depression. Nevertheless, continuous follow-ups of drug concentrations prevailing in patients during the whole treatment period are not available. Hence, in a large phase IV clinical trial, a total of 353 patients with major depression were enrolled for a 6-month comparison of sertraline (50-150 mg daily) and paroxetine (20-60 mg daily). The present study reports the pharmacokinetic results of up to eight serum samples per patient. 1. A profound variability was found in the interindividual steady state and trough serum levels of sertraline, desmethylsertraline and paroxetine: the coefficient of variation (CV) was 59% for sertraline, 51% for desmethylsertraline, 27% for the ratio desmethylsertraline/sertraline (50 mg/day), and 71% for paroxetine (20 mg/day). The intraindividual CV for the ratio desmethylsertraline/sertraline was only 19%, indicating intraindividual metabolizing stability over time. Both sertraline and paroxetine displayed sex differences in the dose-concentration correlation. 2. It was possible to predict sertraline, but not paroxetine, steady state levels. 3. The terminal elimination t1/2 for both drugs after 6 months of treatments was similar to data previously reported from short-term withdrawal studies. 4. No correlation between serum drug concentrations and clinical effect was detected for either sertraline or paroxetine. For the future, continuous efforts are warranted to perform PK investigations in the natural clinical setting in which the drugs are usually prescribed