Tardive dysphoria: antidepressant-induced chronic depression

Tardive Dysphoria With Selective-Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors Treated Successfully With Atypical Antidepressants: A Case Series From Tertiary Hospital Setting

Tardive dysphoria (TDp) is a phenomenon characterized by the delayed onset or worsening of depressive symptoms following the discontinuation or alteration of antidepressant medications. TDp is a recently defined, under-recognized, and understudied condition. We present a series of five TDp cases exploring the diverse presentations, management strategies, and associated medical conditions. In all the cases, TDp manifested after prolonged use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). All cases were successfully managed with atypical antidepressants. These cases offer insight into TDp, providing clinicians and researchers with examples of atypical trajectories in depressive symptomatology.

Advances in the psychopharmacotherapy of bipolar disorder type I

INTRODUCTION

Research into the pharmacologic management of bipolar type I illness continues to progress.

AREAS COVERED

Randomized clinical trials performed with type I bipolar disorder in the years 2015 to August 2020 are reviewed. There are new indications for the use of cariprazine, for bipolar mania and depression, and a long-acting injectable formulation of aripiprazole has also been approved for relapse prevention in bipolar illness. Most of the randomized clinical trials are effectiveness studies.

EXPERT OPINION

Over the 20 years from 1997 through 2016, the use of lithium and other mood stabilizers has declined by 50%, while the use of both second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) and antidepressants has increased considerably. Over the same time period (1990-2017), disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) increased by 54.4%, from 6.02 million in 1990 to 9.29 million in 2017 which is greater than the 47.74% increase in incidence of the disease, suggesting that the changes in prescribing patterns have not been helpful for our patients. Furthermore, recent effectiveness studies continue to confirm the superiority of lithium and other mood stabilizers in the management of bipolar illness for both psychiatric and medical outcomes, reaffirming their role as foundational treatments in the management of type I bipolar disorder. Clinicians need to reassess their prescribing habits.

Evidence of new-onset depression among persons with migraine after discontinuing antidepressants

Antidepressants have been hypothesized to cause tardive dysphoria-the delayed development of negative emotional symptoms. We assessed the risk of tardive dysphoria in a cohort of persons with migraine taking anti-migraine antidepressants with no known diagnosis of any mood or anxiety disorder. We included all outpatient encounters in a university hospital system for migraine from January 2008 through October 2018, excluding subjects with prior psychiatric diagnoses. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses were conducted. 13,048 subjects were included; 1191 took an antidepressant; 402 discontinued an antidepressant. In multivariable analyses examining the first year after exposure, antidepressant use was not significantly associated with risk of a depression, any mood disorder (including depression, mania, and other mood disorders), or anxiety. Antidepressant discontinuation was significantly associated with increased risk of depression, but not any mood disorder or anxiety. Among persons with migraine with no known psychiatric diagnosis, antidepressants did not appear to be associated with indicators of tardive dysphoria. Antidepressant discontinuation, however, was associated with increased risk of a depression diagnosis.

Antidepressant discontinuation in treatment resistant depression

Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is a growing problem in psychiatric practice with some 15–20% of depressed patients becoming chronically depressed and perhaps as many as 40% in tertiary settings. Several groups have championed the idea that TRD may be attributed to the long-term treatment with antidepressant drugs (AD). Subjects with the short form of the serotonin transporter gene (both heterozygotes and homozygotes) have an increased risk for depression in the setting of adversity compared to people with the long form. Moreover, these same individuals have a reduced likelihood of responding well to antidepressants, with reports of no response, delayed response, and increased side effects. This hypothesis needs to be examined in a randomized clinical trial. The study will examine the effect of discontinuation versus continuation of serotonergic antidepressants on disease progression in patients with treatment resistant depression. We will recruit 30 subjects and assess the depressive symptoms and disease progression. Genetic testing will be performed to optimize clinical outcome in both groups, but will also be used to evaluate if the short form of the serotonin transporter predicts disease progression and long-term antidepressant treatment response.