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Adherence to continuation and maintenance antidepressant use in recurrent depression
Mascha C ten Doesschate1, Claudi L H Bockting, Aart H Schene
1Academic Medical Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Meibergdreef 5, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. m.c.tendoesschate@amc.uva.nl
Journal of Affective Disorders
|September 2, 2008
Summary
Non-adherence to antidepressant medication is common in patients with recurrent depression, increasing the risk of relapse. Maintaining consistent antidepressant use is crucial for managing chronic depression and preventing recurrence.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Pharmacology
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Adherence to medication is a significant challenge in managing chronic diseases.
- Limited data exists on antidepressant adherence during the continuation and maintenance phases of recurrent depression treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate antidepressant adherence in remitted patients with recurrent depression during the continuation and maintenance phases.
- To investigate the association between adherence and the risk of future depressive recurrence.
Main Methods:
- Prospective assessment of antidepressant adherence over two years in 131 patients with remitted recurrent depression.
- Utilized self-reported adherence data.
- Analyzed the relationship between adherence patterns and time to recurrence.
Main Results:
- Non-adherence rates ranged from 39.7% to 52.7%.
- 20.9% of patients were consistently non-adherent, while 48.4% were intermittently non-adherent.
- Non-adherence was found to predict a shorter time to depressive recurrence.
Conclusions:
- Frequent non-adherence to continuation and maintenance antidepressant treatment is observed in recurrent depression.
- Non-adherence poses a significant risk factor for depressive relapse.
- Healthcare providers should maintain open discussions about adherence and explore alternative relapse prevention strategies.
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