Patient-Centered Perspectives on Antidepressant Use

Guideline No. 454: Identification and Treatment of Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders

OBJECTIVE

To help perinatal health care providers identify and assist pregnant and postpartum patients with perinatal mental illness, specifically perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Areas of focus include risk factors and identification, screening, treatment, and referral.

TARGET POPULATION

All individuals who are pregnant or in the first year postpartum.

OUTCOMES

Open dialogue and evidence-informed care for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, including competency for identification, screening, treatment, and referral, which will lead to improvements in patient care.

BENEFITS, HARMS, AND COSTS

Pregnant and postpartum individuals with untreated perinatal mental illness, including mood and anxiety disorders, may suffer devastating effects and their family may experience short- and long-term adverse outcomes.

EVIDENCE

A literature search was conducted using Medline (Ovid), PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane library from inception to June 2024. Additional articles were identified from article bibliographies and grey literature published by reputable societies and organizations (see online Appendix A).

VALIDATION METHODS

The authors rated the quality of evidence and strength of recommendations using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. See online Appendix B (Tables B1 for definitions and B2 for interpretations of strong and weak recommendations).

INTENDED AUDIENCE

All heath care providers who provide preconception counselling and/or care during pregnancy and the postpartum period. The term "perinatal" will be used throughout this guideline to refer to these health care providers.

SOCIAL MEDIA ABSTRACT

New SOGC Guideline! Identify, support, and treat perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Focused on risk factors, screening, treatment and referrals during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Let's open dialogue and provide evidence-informed care for improved patient outcomes.

SUMMARY STATEMENTS

RECOMMENDATIONS: IDENTIFICATION AND RISKSCREENINGTREATMENT.

Social media group support for antidepressant deprescribing: a mixed-methods survey of patient experiences

Background Antidepressant use has continually increased in recent decades and although they are an effective treatment for moderate-to-severe depression, when there is no longer a clinical benefit, deprescribing should occur. Currently, routine deprescribing is not part of clinical practice and research shows that there has been an increase in antidepressant users seeking informal support online. This small scoping exercise used a mixed-methods online survey to investigate the motives antidepressant users have for joining social media deprescribing support groups, and what elements of the groups are most valuable to them. Methods Thirty members of two antidepressant deprescribing Facebook groups completed an online survey with quantitative and open-text response questions to determine participant characteristics and motivation for group membership. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, and open-text responses were analysed thematically through NVivo. Results Two overarching themes were evident: first, clinician expertise , where participants repeatedly reported a perceived lack of skills around deprescribing by their clinician, not being included in shared decision-making about their treatment, and symptoms of withdrawal during deprescribing going unaddressed. Motivated by the lack of clinical support, peer support developed as the second theme. Here, people sought help online where they received education, knowledge sharing and lived experience guidance for tapering. The Facebook groups also provided validation and peer support, which motivated people to continue engaging with the group. Conclusions Antidepressant users who wish to cease their medication are increasingly subscribing to specialised online support groups due to the lack of information and support from clinicians. This study highlights the ongoing need for such support groups. Improved clinician understanding about the complexities of antidepressant deprescribing is needed to enable them to effectively engage in shared decision-making with their patients.

Improving patient experience for people prescribed medicines with a risk of dependence or withdrawal: co-designed solutions using experience based co-design

BACKGROUND

Significant concerns have been raised regarding how medications with a risk of dependence or withdrawal are managed and how care is experienced by patients. This study sought to co-design solutions to improve the experience of care for patients prescribed benzodiazepines, z-drugs, opioids for chronic non-cancer pain, gabapentinoids and antidepressants.

METHOD

Twenty patients and fifteen healthcare professionals from five different GP practices were recruited to take part. The study used Experience Based Co-Design. Patients and healthcare professionals completed semi-structured interviews and took part in feedback groups and co-design workshops to collaboratively identify priorities for improvement and to co-design solutions to improve the experience of care.

RESULTS

Poor patient experience was common among people prescribed medications with a risk of dependence or withdrawal. Patients and healthcare professionals identified three main priority areas to improve the experience of care: (i) ensuring patients are provided with detailed information in relation to their medication, (ii) ensuring continuity of care for patients, and (iii) providing alternative treatment options to medication. Solutions to improve care were co-designed by patients and healthcare staff and implemented within participating GP practices to improve the experience of care.

CONCLUSION

Good patient experience is a key element of quality care. This study highlights that the provision of in-depth medication related information, continuity of care and alternative treatment to medication are important to patients prescribed medicines with a risk of dependence or withdrawal. Improving these aspects of care should be a priority for future improvement and delivery plans.

Important adverse events to be evaluated in antidepressant trials and meta-analyses in depression: a large international preference study including patients and healthcare professionals

BACKGROUND

Non-serious adverse events (NSAEs) should be captured and reported because they can have a significant negative impact on patients and treatment adherence. However, the reporting of NSAEs in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) is limited.

OBJECTIVE

To identify the most important NSAEs of antidepressants for patients and clinicians, to be evaluated in RCTs and meta-analyses.

METHODS

We conducted online international surveys in English, German and French, including (1) adults prescribed an antidepressant for a depressive episode and (2) healthcare professionals (HCPs) prescribing antidepressants. Participants ranked the 30 most frequent NSAEs reported in the scientific literature. We fitted logit models for sets of ranked items and calculated for each AE the probability to be ranked higher than the least important AE. We also identified additional patient-important AEs not included in the ranking task via open-ended questions.

FINDINGS

We included 1631 patients from 44 different countries (1290 (79.1%) women, mean age 39.4 (SD 13), 289 (37.1%) with severe depression (PHQ-9 score ≥20)) and 281 HCPs (224 (79.7%) psychiatrists). The most important NSAEs for patients were insomnia (95.9%, 95% CI 95.2% to 96.5%), anxiety (95.2%, 95% CI 94.3% to 95.9%) and fatigue (94.6%, 95% CI 93.6% to 95.4%). The most important NSAEs for HCPs were sexual dysfunction (99.2%, 95% CI 98.5% to 99.6%), weight gain (98.9%, 95% CI 97.7% to 99.4%) and erectile problems (98.8%, 95% CI 97.7% to 99.4%). Participants reported 66 additional NSAEs, including emotional numbing (8.6%), trouble with concentration (7.6%) and irritability (6%).

CONCLUSIONS

These most important NSAEs should be systematically reported in antidepressant trials.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

The most important NSAEs should contribute to the core outcome set for harms in depression.

User Perspectives on Professional Support and Service Use During Psychiatric Medication Discontinuation

Psychiatric medication discontinuation is common and can have negative impacts. Until recently, most research on discontinuation happened in an adherence/compliance framework. There is now recognition that discontinuation may be a desired goal for many individuals. The purpose of the present paper is to describe the results of a pioneering survey to explore professional support to service users during medication discontinuation to inform clinical practice and guide future research. Survey responses from 250 service users were summarized with regard to their use of prescriber and psychotherapy services during the process of discontinuing psychiatric medication. Only 65% of respondents reported seeing a prescriber and less than 50% reported seeing a psychotherapist while attempting to discontinue psychiatric medication. Combined with respondents' answers describing the decision-making process and support received from these services, this paper identifies gaps in service and the need to improve providers' ability to support individuals while they discontinue psychiatric medication.

Rural Perspectives Challenging Pharmacotherapy

Depression pharmacotherapy is the predominant treatment available in the rural United States, yet little is known about the broader contextual factors that rural consumers and providers identify as shaping pharmacotherapy use. Thematic analysis was employed to identify emergent themes from interviews and focus groups about pharmacotherapy adherence, effectiveness, and treatment decisions conducted with Appalachian Kentucky women with depression (N = 37) and diverse healthcare providers who care for this population (N = 21). Pharmacotherapy was seen as inadequate to treat depression in the context of extensive socioeconomic burdens and other health comorbidities. Participants felt that providers over-prescribed pharmacotherapy, a pattern attributed to deficiencies in the rural healthcare system overall. Efforts to improve treatment engagement must acknowledge the significant doubts that rural consumers hold about the potential of pharmacotherapy and should consider the utility of extending broader strategies to address the social conditions shaping vulnerability to depression.

Nonpharmacological Treatment for Supporting Social Participation of Adults with Depression

BACKGROUND

Social withdrawal is predominantly seen among adults with depression. However, a dearth of reviews exists that explore nonpharmacological treatments, especially occupational therapy (OT) interventions and their effect in promoting social participation. The aim of this research was to review what intervention programs are conducted to support the social participation of adults with depression and their effectiveness.

METHOD

A systematic review was performed wherein relevant articles were searched in PubMed, CINAHL, Wiley Online Library, PsycINFO, and OTseeker databases and AJOT, BJOT, SJOT, and OTMH journals. Only English articles published from January 2010 to December 2018, which tackled intervention for adults aged 20-60 years with depression, were considered. Ten out of 918 studies met the screening criteria.

RESULT

Among the ten studies, the effective intervention programs were categorized as either occupation-based intervention (OBI) or cognitive behavioral therapy-based intervention (CBT-BI). These programs sought the following outcomes: behavioral change in social participation (n = 4), reduction of depression or depressive symptoms (n = 13), life satisfaction (n = 4), and quality of life (QoL) (n = 1). Studies showed moderate (n = 3) to strong (n = 7) level of certainty, whereas they also revealed high to unclear (n = 3) and low (n = 7) risk of bias.

CONCLUSION

Both OBI such as animal-assisted therapy and CBT-BI such as behavioral change program and health education have a strong level of certainty and low risk of bias in promoting social participation by supporting positive behavioral change and reducing depressive symptoms. Furthermore, the sport and exercise program of OBI was popular in encouraging participation and engagement with other people. Other programs were suggested for combined interventions to support social participation, life satisfaction, and QoL.

A survey of UK general practitioners about depression, antidepressants and withdrawal: implementing the 2019 Public Health England report

BACKGROUND

In 2019, a literature review indicated that more than half of people who try to come off antidepressants experience withdrawal effects. Both the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence and the Royal College of Psychiatrists updated their positions in line with that review, and Public Health England published a 152-page report called Dependence and withdrawal associated with some prescribed medicines: an evidence review. The report made several recommendations relevant to general practice.

METHOD

In order to facilitate implementation of these recommendations, an online survey was designed to explore United Kingdom general practitioner (GP) experiences, opinions, knowledge and needs in relation to depression, ADs and withdrawal. A total of 66 GPs had completed the survey when COVID-19 occurred.

RESULTS

In keeping with previous findings, this small sample of GPs had a predominantly psycho-social perspective on the causes of, and treatments for, depression. They broadly considered ADs effective for moderate/severe depression and ineffective for minimal/mild depression, for which they preferred psychological therapies and social prescribing. There was a marked lack of consistency in GPs' knowledge about the incidence and duration of withdrawal effects. Only a minority (29%) felt their knowledge about withdrawal was 'adequate' and fewer (17%) believed this about their 'Ability to distinguish between withdrawal effects and return of the original problem (e.g. depression)'. Two-thirds (68%) would like more training on these matters.

CONCLUSION

It is hoped that even this small sample will be helpful when designing, and seeking funding for, GP training programmes, and when implementing the PHE recommendations for support services, based in the primary care system, for the millions of people contemplating or initiating withdrawal from ADs every year in the UK.

The Positive and Negative Experiences of 342 Antidepressant Users

Most efficacy and safety studies about medications adopt a quantitative approach, testing specific hypotheses with restricted samples. This online survey provides additional insights by directly asking people open questions. Thematic analysis was used to explore the responses of 342 antidepressant users to "Is there anything else you would like to tell us about your experience of taking medication". 59 (17.3%) made exclusively positive comments, 146 (42.7%) purely negative comments and 137 (40.0%) offered a mixture of positive and negative. Positive themes included: daily coping, life-changing/saving and stepping stone. Negative themes included: physical adverse effects, emotional and cognitive blunting, and withdrawal effects. Many participants also commented on relationships with prescribers. Collaboration was particularly valued. Negative sub-themes included failings in relation to information (especially about adverse effects and withdrawal), support, and alternatives. Clinicians have a duty to inform potential antidepressant users about positive and adverse effects, including withdrawal effects.

How common and severe are six withdrawal effects from, and addiction to, antidepressants? The experiences of a large international sample of patients

INTRODUCTION

The incidence and severity of withdrawal effects when coming off antidepressants (ADs) have recently received considerable attention. National guidelines on the topic have proven to be inaccurate. This paper reports the largest direct-to-patient international survey on these issues.

METHODS

Data generated by an online survey from 867 people from 31 countries, who had taken ADs continuously for at least one month, and had tried to come off (successfully or not) was analysed.

RESULTS

The majority (59%) had taken ADs for more than three years. Of those who were still taking them, 29% had been doing so for at least 20 years. 61% reported some degree of withdrawal effects, and 44% of these described the effects as 'severe'. The most common of six listed withdrawal effects were anxiety/panic (66%) and irritability (62%). The most common spontaneously reported 'other' withdrawal effect was suicidality (2%). 40% reported that they felt addicted, with 39% of these describing their addiction as 'severe'. Over half (55%) reported some degree of difficulty coming off, with 27% ticking 'very difficult', and 11% 'very easy'. Duration of treatment was related to withdrawal, addiction and difficulty coming off. Younger people experienced more frequent withdrawal effects. Only six people (0.7%) recalled being told anything about withdrawal, dependence or addiction by the initial prescriber.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings confirm previous studies, using a range of methodologies, finding high incidences of withdrawal effects, frequently at severe levels. National guidelines, and those of professional organisations, urgently need to be updated to reflect this evidence.

Young people's experiences with mental health medication: A narrative review of the qualitative literature

Background: With the growing prevalence of mental illness in young people, healthcare professionals require an understanding of the social and psychological implications of medication use in this population.Aim: To characterize the qualitative literature regarding the perceptions and experiences of young people taking medication for mental illness.Methods: A narrative review of qualitative studies involving young people (13-24 years) taking any medication as treatment for a mental illness. The Medication Experience Model guided analysis of quotes related to medication use.Results: Of the 27 included studies, the majority involved participants with depression and utilized interviews. Young people reported a wide range of mental health medication experiences, both negative and positive, which could influence medication acceptance. Lack of autonomy and the influence of family members were challenges faced by this population.Conclusions: Young people reported that medications had affected them in various ways across multiple dimensions. Lack of involvement in decision-making and a loss of autonomy were of particular relevance to young people, issues which should also be of interest to healthcare professionals.

Medicines associated with dependence or withdrawal: a mixed-methods public health review and national database study in England

BACKGROUND

Antidepressants, opioids for non-cancer pain, gabapentinoids (gabapentin and pregabalin), benzodiazepines, and Z-drugs (zopiclone, zaleplon, and zolpidem) are commonly prescribed medicine classes associated with a risk of dependence or withdrawal. We aimed to review the evidence for these harms and estimate the prevalence of dispensed prescriptions, their geographical distribution, and duration of continuous receipt using all patient-linked prescription data in England.

METHODS

This was a mixed-methods public health review, comprising a rapid evidence assessment of articles (Jan 1, 2008, to Oct 3, 2018; with searches of MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO, and the Cochrane and King's Fund libraries), an open call-for-evidence on patient experience and service evaluations, and a retrospective, patient-linked analysis of the National Health Service (NHS) Business Services Authority prescription database (April 1, 2015, to March 30, 2018) for all adults aged 18 years and over. Indirectly (sex and age) standardised rates (ISRs) were computed for all 195 NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups in England, containing 7821 general practices for the geographical analysis. We used publicly available mid-year (June 30) data on the resident adult population and investigated deprivation using the English Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) quintiles (quintile 1 least deprived, quintile 5 most deprived), with each patient assigned to the IMD quintile score of their general practitioner's practice for each year. Statistical modelling (adjusted incident rate ratios [IRRs]) of the number of patients who had a prescription dispensed for each medicine class, and the number of patients in receipt of a prescription for at least 12 months, was done by sex, age group, and IMD quintile.

FINDINGS

77 articles on the five medicine classes were identified from the literature search and call-for-evidence. 17 randomised placebo-controlled trials (6729 participants) reported antidepressant-associated withdrawal symptoms. Almost all studies were rated of very low, low, or moderate quality. The focus of qualitative and other reports was on patients' experiences of long-term antidepressant use, and typically sudden onset, severe, and protracted withdrawal symptoms when medication was stopped. Between April 1, 2017, and March 31, 2018, 11·53 million individuals (26·3% of residents in England) had a prescription dispensed for at least one medicine class: antidepressants (7·26 million [16·6%]), opioids (5·61 million [12·8%]), gabapentinoids (1·46 million [3·3%]), benzodiazepines (1·35 million [3·1%]), and Z-drugs (0·99 million [2·3%]). For three of these medicine classes, more people had a prescription dispensed in areas of higher deprivation, with adjusted IRRs (referenced to quintile 1) ranging from 1·10 to 1·24 for antidepressants, 1·20 to 1·85 for opioids, and 1·21 to 1·85 for gabapentinoids across quintiles, and higher ISRs generally concentrated in the north and east of England. In contrast, the highest ISRs for benzodiazepines and Z-drugs were generally in the southwest, southeast, and east of England, with low ISRs in the north. Z-drugs were associated with increased deprivation, but only at the highest quintile (adjusted IRR 1·11 [95% CI 1·01-1·22]). For benzodiazepines, prescribing was reduced for people in quintiles 4 (0·90 [0·85-0·96]) and 5 (0·89 [0·82-0·97]). In March, 2018, for each of medicine class, about 50% of patients who had a prescription dispensed had done so continuously for at least 12 months, with the highest ISRs in the north and east. Long-term prescribing was associated with a gradient of increased deprivation.

INTERPRETATION

In 1 year over a quarter of the adult population in England had a prescription dispensed for antidepressants, opioids (for non-cancer pain), gabapentinoids, benzodiazepines, or Z-drugs. Long-term (>12 months) prescribing is common, despite being either not recommended by clinical guidelines or of doubtful efficacy in many cases. Enhanced national and local monitoring, better guidance for personalised care, and better doctor-patient decision making are needed.

FUNDING

Public Health England.

Tracing medicinal agencies: Antidepressants and life-effects

This article is inspired by the social life of methods approach, joining a movement among social scientists engaging with 'big data' to contribute to methodological innovation and conceptual development in research and knowledge translation. It explores human-drug associations using a computational tool, Medicine Radar, meanwhile raising questions about the ways a digital device pushes us to rethink how drugs are known in the everyday. Medicine Radar is an apparatus for exploring human-drug associations by means of Suomi24 (Finland24) data, containing 19 million health-related online posts spanning a period of 16 years. Using defined markers, Medicine Radar sorts the medicine talk in health-related discussions, thereby assisting us to 'see' the actions of the drug and human responses to them. This kind of approach distances the drug from the illness experience, drawing attention to the private details of the human-drug relationship. The empirical analysis separates three areas of antidepressant use: articulations of reactions, stabilizing the life effects of drugs and coming to terms with antidepressants. Together, the online posts urge us to think of everyday experience where the effects of drugs - intended or unintended - are always lived. The side effects of antidepressants, including drowsiness, ravenous hunger, loss of sexual desire and emotional numbness, become life effects. As will be demonstrated, the move from conceptualizing such fallout as side effects to understanding them as life effects has political ramifications. The computation tool adds collective weight to antidepressant experiences and calls for politicizing their effects on life.

Staying on, and coming off, antidepressants: The experiences of 752 UK adults

INTRODUCTION

Prescription rates for antidepressants (ADs) are high and continue to increase, despite evidence of significant adverse effects, including withdrawal symptoms, and marginal benefit relative to placebo only for short-term treatment of major depression. Such high rates seem to be explicable more in terms of long term usage and repeat prescribing rather than by increases in depression or new patients.

METHOD

This paper reports the responses of a convenience sample of 752 people who had taken antidepressants, but no other psychiatric drugs, 'within the last two years' and completed the Medications for Mental Health Survey online in the UK.

RESULTS

Most participants had either come off antidepressants (34%) or had tried and failed (36%). Of those still taking them 76% had been doing so for at least a year and 36% for five years or more. 26% expected to take them forever. About half (48%) did not have their drugs reviewed at least every three months. Most (65%) had never had a discussion with the prescriber about coming off. Nearly half (45%) of those who had stopped the drugs had done so without consulting their doctor. However, of those who came off after consulting their doctor, the majority (65%) experienced the doctor to be supportive.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings are consistent with the idea that high rates are largely explicable by chronic usage, which in turn is partially explained by withdrawal symptoms. Prescribers should strive to establish collaborative relationships in which patients are fully informed about withdrawal effects and their views, about starting and finishing medication, should be explored and valued.

How many of 1829 antidepressant users report withdrawal effects or addiction?

More than 10% of adults are prescribed antidepressants annually in some countries. Recent increases in prescribing can be explained more by repeat prescriptions than new patients. This raises the question of whether antidepressants are addictive. A total of 1829 New Zealanders who had been prescribed antidepressants completed an online survey; 44% had been taking antidepressants for more than 3 years and were still taking them. Withdrawal effects when stopping medication were reported by 55%, and addiction by 27%. Paroxetine had particularly high rates of withdrawal symptoms. Only 1% of participants recalled being told about withdrawal effects when prescribed the drugs. Such high rates of withdrawal symptoms suggest that all concerned, including mental health nurses, need to help people considering antidepressants to understand that it can be difficult to withdraw from them. It will also be beneficial to closely monitor people already taking antidepressants and who are at risk of long-term usage.

Meaning and medication: a thematic analysis of depressed adolescents' views and experiences of SSRI antidepressants alongside psychological therapies

BACKGROUND

Adolescence is a key period of risk for the emergence of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). The prescription of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for the treatment of depression in adolescents is an issue of worldwide controversy, and evidence regarding their safety and efficacy is inconclusive. In the UK, NICE guidelines have recently recommended offering SSRIs to adolescents alongside psychological therapy or on their own if therapy is refused. Thus, SSRIs are increasingly becoming a major component of treatment for adolescents. This study qualitatively explored adolescents' views and experiences of SSRIs within their accounts of engaging in a psychological therapy for depression, particularly focusing on meanings they attached to medication-use.

METHODS

The qualitative study reports data from semi-structured interviews conducted 12-months post-treatment with 12 adolescents who were clinically referred and treated for depression as part of the IMPACT trial. The interviews were analysed using Thematic Analysis.

RESULTS

Four themes were identified: 'a perceived threat to autonomy', 'a sign of severity', 'a support, not a solution', and 'an ongoing process of trial and error'.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the value of bringing adolescents' voices into the broader debate on the use of antidepressants in their age group and in the development of future guidelines. Future implications for research and clinical practice are discussed.

Becoming a 'pharmaceutical person': Medication use trajectories from age 26 to 38 in a representative birth cohort from Dunedin, New Zealand

Despite the abundance of medications available for human consumption, and frequent concerns about increasing medicalization or pharmaceuticalization of everyday life, there is little research investigating medicines-use in young and middle-aged populations and discussing the implications of young people using increasing numbers of medicines and becoming pharmaceutical users over time. We use data from a New Zealand longitudinal study to examine changes in self-reported medication use by a complete birth cohort of young adults. Details of medications taken during the previous two weeks at age 38 are compared to similar data collected at ages 32 and 26, and by gender. Major drug categories are examined. General use profiles and medicine-types are considered in light of our interest in understanding the formation of the young and middle-aging 'pharmaceutical person' - where one's embodied experience is frequently and normally mediated by pharmaceutical interventions having documented benefit/risk outcomes.

The interpersonal adverse effects reported by 1008 users of antidepressants; and the incremental impact of polypharmacy

Antidepressant drugs are being prescribed at ever increasing rates internationally, despite marginal benefit compared to placebo and a range of adverse effects. Most studies of adverse effects focus on biological phenomena. This article presents the results of an online survey of 1008 self-selected anti-depressant users in Britain, which asked about five adverse effects in the interpersonal domain. The most commonly reported among participants who took only antidepressants were: Sex Life - 43.7%, Work or Study - 27.0% and Social Life - 23.5%. These rates of interpersonal adverse effects were even higher for the 52% of participants who were also taking one or more other psychiatric drugs. Only about a half (48%) felt they had been given enough information about side effects by the prescriber. Those initially prescribed medication by a psychiatrist were more likely to be on several types of drugs and reported more adverse effects than those whose prescriber was a General Practitioner (GP). Researchers and prescribers are encouraged to pay greater attention to interpersonal adverse effects.

Beliefs about the causes of depression and recovery and their impact on adherence, dosage, and successful tapering of antidepressants

BACKGROUND

Continuation of antidepressant medication (ADM) after remission is widely used to prevent depressive relapse/recurrence. Little is known about predictors of ADM use in terms of adherence, dosage, and successful tapering. The current study aimed to explore beliefs about the causes of depression and recovery (i.e., causal beliefs) and to examine whether they predict ADM use.

METHODS

The data were drawn from a controlled trial and an extension of this trial with additional experience sampling. In total, 289 remitted patients with recurrent depression (ADM ≥ 6 months) were randomly assigned to Preventive Cognitive Therapy (PCT) with ADM tapering, PCT with maintenance ADM, or maintenance ADM alone. Adherence, ADM dosage, and causal beliefs regarding the first and last depressive episodes were explored via questionnaires.

RESULTS

Most patients mentioned stressful life events as cause of depression, although more patients tended to endorse external causes for the first episode and internal causes for the last episode. ADM was most often mentioned as helpful during recovery from both episodes. Over half of all patients were adherent and under half of the patients in the tapering condition were able to complete the taper. Causal beliefs did not predict ADM use.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that causal beliefs play little role in the use of maintenance ADM. More information is needed on factors contributing to successful tapering. The results must be interpreted with caution as this is not a naturalistic study and the results might be biased toward a more favorable view regarding ADM.

Conflict in Men's Experiences With Antidepressants

While men's experiences of depression and help seeking are known to be shaped by gender, there is little research which examines their experience of using antidepressants to treat this. This study is based on in-depth, narrative-style interviews with 20 New Zealand men who had used antidepressants. The analysis identified a number of areas of conflict in the men's accounts of using this medication. Conflict centered on the way taking antidepressants was seen as undermining personal control while also allowing users to take charge of their problems; facilitating general functioning while undermining sexual functioning; relieving emotional distress while undermining emotional vitality; and the tension participants felt between making autonomous judgments about the value of antidepressants and relying on the "expertise" of others. Participants negotiated these conflicts in a variety of ways. In some cases, antidepressants were positioned as being able to affirm aspects of traditional masculinity, while a smaller number of participants managed these conflicts by redefining aspects of their own masculinity in ways that contrasted with dominant constructions. This research is limited by the sample of older, more privileged men in the context of New Zealand culture which favors macho forms of masculinity. In similar contexts, mental health practitioners should be mindful of the conflicts that men might experience in relation to their antidepressant use. Facilitating men's exploration of these issues may enable them to make better decisions about treatment options or to provide more effective support to those who have opted for antidepressant treatment.

Understanding the non-pharmacological correlates of self-reported efficacy of antidepressants

OBJECTIVE

To explore the non-pharmacological correlates of the perceived effectiveness of antidepressants (ADs), thereby enhancing understanding of the mechanisms involved in recovery from depression while taking ADs.

METHOD

An online survey was completed by 1781 New Zealand adults who had taken ADs in the previous 5 years.

RESULTS

All 18 psychosocial variables measured were associated with depression reduction, and 16 with improved quality of life (QoL). Logistic regression models revealed that the quality of the relationship with the prescriber was related to both depression reduction and improved QoL. In addition, depression reduction was related to younger age, higher income, being fully informed about ADs by the prescriber, fewer social causal beliefs for depression and not having lost a loved one in the 2 months prior to prescription. Furthermore, both outcome measures were positively related to belief in 'chemical' rather than 'placebo' effects.

CONCLUSION

There are multiple non-pharmacological processes involved in recovery while taking ADs. Enhancing them, for example focusing on the prescriber-patient relationship and giving more information, may enhance recovery rates, with or without ADs.

Beliefs of people taking antidepressants about the causes of their own depression

BACKGROUND

The beliefs of people receiving treatment about the causes of their own mental health problems are researched less often than the causal beliefs of the public, but have important implications for relationships with prescribers, treatment choices and recovery.

METHOD

An online survey on a range of beliefs about depression, and experiences with antidepressants, was completed by 1829 New Zealand adults prescribed anti-depressants in the preceding five years, 97.4% of whom proceeded to take antidepressants.

RESULTS

Six of 17 beliefs about the causes of their own depression were endorsed by more than half the sample: chemical imbalance, family stress, work stress, heredity, relationship problems and distressing events in childhood. There were some marked differences in content, structure and level of conviction of beliefs about one׳s own depression and the sample׳s previously published beliefs about depression in general. There were also significant differences between the beliefs of demographic groupings. Regression analyses revealed that self-reported effectiveness of the antidepressants was positively associated with bio-genetic causal beliefs. The quality of the relationship with the prescribing doctor was positively related to a belief in chemical imbalance as a cause and negatively related to a belief in unemployment as a cause.

LIMITATIONS

The convenience sample may have been biased towards a favourable view of bio-genetic explanations, since 83% reported that the medication reduced their depression.

CONCLUSIONS

People experiencing depression hold complex, multifactorial and idiosyncratic sets of beliefs about the causes of their own depression, apparently based at least in part on their own life experiences and circumstances. Exploring those beliefs may enhance the doctor-patient relationship and selection of appropriate treatment modality.

Beliefs of people taking antidepressants about causes of depression and reasons for increased prescribing rates

BACKGROUND

Public beliefs about the causes of mental health problems are related to desire for distance and pessimism about recovery, and are therefore frequently studied. The beliefs of people receiving treatment are researched less often.

METHOD

An online survey on causal beliefs about depression and experiences with antidepressants was completed by 1829 New Zealand adults prescribed anti-depressants in the preceding five years, 97.4% of whom proceeded to take antidepressants.

RESULTS

The most frequently endorsed of 17 causal beliefs were family stress, relationship problems, loss of loved one, financial problems, isolation, and abuse or neglect in childhood. Factor analysis produced three factors: 'bio-genetic', 'adulthood stress' and 'childhood adversity'. The most strongly endorsed explanations for increases in antidepressant prescribing invoked improved identification, reduced stigma and drug company marketing. The least strongly endorsed was 'Anti-depressants are the best treatment'. Regression analyses revealed that self-reported efficacy of the antidepressants was positively associated with bio-genetic causal beliefs, negatively associated with childhood adversity beliefs and unrelated to adulthood stress beliefs. The belief that 'People cannot׳ get better by themselves even if they try' was positively associated with bio-genetic beliefs.

LIMITATIONS

The convenience sample may have been biased towards a favourable view of bio-genetic explanations, since 83% reported that the medication reduced their depression.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinicians׳ should consider exploring patients׳ causal beliefs. The public, even when taking antidepressants, continues to hold a multi-factorial causal model of depression with a primary emphasis on psycho-social causes. A three factor model of those beliefs may lead to more sophisticated understandings of relationships with stigma variables.

Adverse emotional and interpersonal effects reported by 1829 New Zealanders while taking antidepressants

In the context of rapidly increasing antidepressant use internationally, and recent reviews raising concerns about efficacy and adverse effects, this study aimed to survey the largest sample of AD recipients to date. An online questionnaire about experiences with, and beliefs about, antidepressants was completed by 1829 adults who had been prescribed antidepressants in the last five years (53% were first prescribed them between 2000 and 2009, and 52% reported taking them for more than three years). Eight of the 20 adverse effects studied were reported by over half the participants; most frequently Sexual Difficulties (62%) and Feeling Emotionally Numb (60%). Percentages for other effects included: Feeling Not Like Myself - 52%, Reduction In Positive Feelings - 42%, Caring Less About Others - 39%, Suicidality - 39% and Withdrawal Effects - 55%. Total Adverse Effect scores were related to younger age, lower education and income, and type of antidepressant, but not to level of depression prior to taking antidepressants. The adverse effects of antidepressants may be more frequent than previously reported, and include emotional and interpersonal effects.