Antidepressant Prescribing Patterns At Initial Visits for Patients With Mild Depression: A Retrospective Study

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• The effectiveness of antidepressants for mild depression is debated.
• Clinical guidelines suggest prioritizing psychosocial interventions for mild depression.
• However, antidepressants are frequently prescribed in real-world settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine antidepressant prescribing patterns in initial consultations for mild depression.
• To identify symptom-related factors influencing these prescribing decisions.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of 1,508 outpatients diagnosed with depression.
• Analysis of 171 patients meeting mild depression criteria (Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self Report score 6-10).
• Independent t-tests and logistic regression to compare groups.

Main Results:

• 28.1% of mild depression patients received antidepressants at the first visit.
• No significant demographic or overall symptom severity differences between groups.
• No specific symptom item robustly predicted antidepressant prescription.

Conclusions:

• Antidepressants are prescribed in about 30% of initial mild depression consultations.
• Prescribing decisions appear influenced by factors beyond specific symptom profiles.
• Further research is needed to understand real-world treatment selection for mild depression.