Patient satisfaction with antidepressants: an Internet-based study

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Pharmacology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Patient satisfaction with antidepressants (ADs) is crucial for treatment adherence but influenced by multiple, incompletely understood factors.
• Understanding patient perspectives on ADs is essential for optimizing depression management.
• Individual contributions of various factors to antidepressant satisfaction remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate factors influencing patient satisfaction with antidepressant medications.
• To compare satisfaction reasons across different classes of antidepressants.
• To identify predictors of higher patient satisfaction with AD treatment.

Main Methods:

• An online survey of 1199 Japanese patients with major depressive disorder was conducted.
• Antidepressant satisfaction was quantified using a 5-point scale, averaged to create a Satisfaction Score (SS).
• Logistic regression identified predictors of higher SS, focusing on efficacy, side effects, and dosing frequency.

Main Results:

• Satisfaction Score (SS) negatively correlated with the number of ADs taken (r=-.074, p=.011).
• While SS was similar across different AD subgroups (fluvoxamine, milnacipran, paroxetine, TCAs), their satisfaction reasons varied.
• Reporting "efficacy" and "fewer side effects" were significant predictors of higher SS.

Conclusions:

• Patient satisfaction with antidepressants is influenced by perceived efficacy and tolerability.
• Increasing the number of antidepressants may lead to decreased patient satisfaction.
• Future research should consider patient-reported outcomes and potential biases in online surveys.