Cross-EHR validation of antidepressant response algorithm and links with genetics of psychiatric traits

Antidepressants are commonly prescribed medications in the United States, however, factors underlying response are poorly understood. Electronic health records (EHRs) provide a cost-effective way to create and test response algorithms on large, longitudinal cohorts. We describe a new antidepressant response algorithm, validation in two independent EHR databases, and genetic associations with antidepressant response.

We deployed the algorithm in EHRs at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), the All of Us Research Program, and the Mass General Brigham Healthcare System (MGB) and validated response outcomes with patient health questionnaire (PHQ) scores. In a meta-analysis across all sites, worse antidepressant response associated with higher PHQ-8 scores (beta = 0.20, p-value = 1.09 × 10^-18).

We used polygenic scores to investigate the relationship between genetic liability of psychiatric disorders and response to first antidepressant trial across VUMC and MGB. After controlling for depression diagnosis, higher polygenic scores for depression, schizophrenia, bipolar, and cross-disorders associated with poorer response to the first antidepressant trial (depression: p-value = 2.84 × 10^-8, OR = 1.07; schizophrenia: p-value = 5.93 × 10^-4, OR = 1.05; bipolar: p-value = 1.99 × 10^-3, OR = 1.04; cross-disorders: p-value = 1.03 × 10^-3, OR = 1.05).

Overall, we demonstrate our antidepressant response algorithm can be deployed across multiple EHR systems to increase sample size of genetic and epidemiologic studies of antidepressant response.