Increased Antidepressant Use after Intensive Care for Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Haemorrhage: A...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Mood disorders are a frequent complication following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH).
• The excess risk of mood disorders after aSAH compared to general intensive care is not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if aSAH increases the risk of mood disorders beyond general intensive care.
• To identify risk factors and consequences of mood disorders in aSAH patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of nationwide registers for aSAH patients (2012-2023) and antidepressant (AD) prescriptions.
• Propensity score (PS) matching with a general intensive care unit (ICU) cohort to compare AD treatment risk.
• Analysis of sick leave and disability pensions as indicators of mood disorder impact.

Main Results:

• A 25.5% cumulative incidence of AD treatment within 1 year was observed in AD-naïve aSAH patients.
• Disease severity was a key risk factor for AD treatment; AD-treated patients experienced more sick leave and disability.
• aSAH patients showed a 1.333 risk ratio for AD treatment compared to non-neurovascular ICU controls, indicating an increased risk of mood disorders.

Conclusions:

• Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is associated with an elevated risk of mood disorders.
• This risk is greater than that observed after intensive care for other medical conditions.