Antidepressant use in the absence of common mental disorders in the general population

Patterns and factors associated with the prescription of psychotropic medications after diagnosis of cancer in Chinese patients: A population-based cohort study

PURPOSE

Patients with cancer may be prescribed psychotropic medications to address their psychiatric symptoms and disorders. This study examined the patterns and factors associated with the prescription of psychotropics after cancer diagnosis using a population-based database in Hong Kong.

METHODS

Patients who were diagnosed with malignant cancer and had no documented psychiatric diagnosis or psychotropic medications prior to cancer diagnosis, were included. Multivariable log-binomial models were used to explore the associations between predictive factors and psychotropic medications use.

RESULTS

Among 9337 patients, 1868 patients (20.0%) were newly prescribed with psychotropic medications after cancer diagnoses, most commonly hypnotics (50.3%) and antidepressants (32.8%). About one-third (31.4%) were prescribed chronic psychotropics (≥90 days). Approximately 48.3% of patients who were prescribed psychotropic medications received their prescriptions within 1 year after diagnosed with cancer. Only 18.6% of those prescribed psychotropic medications had a registered psychiatric diagnosis. Patients with multiple comorbidities (adjusted risk ratio[aRR] = 2.74; CI = 2.46-3.05) and diagnosed with oral (aRR = 1.89; CI = 1.52-2.35) or respiratory cancers (aRR = 1.62; CI = 1.36-1.93) were more likely to be prescribed psychotropics.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of psychotropic medication is common (20%) among patients with cancer. Our findings highlight the importance of identification and documentation of psychiatric needs among patients with cancer.

The 'discontinuity hypothesis' of depression in later life-clinical and research implications

The term depression is overused as an umbrella term for a variety of conditions, including depressed mood and various psychiatric disorders. According to psychiatric diagnostic criteria, depressive disorders impact nearly all aspects of human life and are a leading cause of disability worldwide. The widespread assumption that different types of depression lie on a continuum of severity has stimulated important research on subthreshold depression in later life. This view assumes that depressed mood is a precursor of a depressive disorder. The present narrative review argues why in later life depressed mood might either (i) lie on a continuum with depressive disorders among people vulnerable for a depressive disorder or (ii) be an ageing-related epiphenomenon of underlying physical illnesses in people who are resilient to depressive disorders ('discontinuity hypothesis'). Three arguments are discussed. First, the course of depressed mood and depressive disorders differs across the life span. Second, screening instruments for depression have low predictive value for depressive disorders in later life. Third, a dose-response relationship has not been consistently found across different types of depression and detrimental health outcomes. Using the umbrella term depression may partly explain why pharmacological treatment is less effective with increasing age, and negative health-related outcomes might be overestimated. The discontinuity hypothesis may prevent pharmacological overtreatment of milder subtypes of depression and may stimulate comprehensive multidisciplinary assessment as well as the development of separate treatment algorithms for depressed mood and depressive disorders.

Prescription Pattern of Antidepressants and the Potential for Personalized Medicine in the Qatari Population

Studying the prescription pattern of medications will help in understanding potential unnecessary prescriptions, due to the trial-and-error method of prescribing, and the need for personalized medicine in a population. Therefore, in this study, our aim was to explore the prescribing pattern and off-label use of antidepressants in the Qatari population. We conducted a retrospective study of Qatari patients who received prescriptions for antidepressants from the major healthcare providers in Qatar, for a period of 24 months between June 2018 and May 2020. The number of patients, prescriptions, and diagnostic indications were analyzed. The chi-square test was used for identifying statistically significant association of the number of individuals prescribed with age category or gender. Of the 14,601 Qatari patients who were prescribed antidepressants, the majority were female (61%, p < 2.2 × 10^-16), and were at or above 60 years of age (27%, p < 2.2 × 10^-16). More numbers of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) (22,085 out of 48,031; 46%), were dispensed than other classes of antidepressants, with escitalopram (26%) at the top of the list. Preponderance of prescription of antidepressants for non-mental health diseases was observed. Population-level prescription trends, as we reported here, when combined with patient genetic variability and outcome data, will have the power to predict the potential for treatment failures and adverse effects of these medications in the population. We also recommend educating non-mental health prescribers about the adherence to evidence and guidelines to ensure patient safety while prescribing antidepressants.

Patterns of mental health service use among Medicaid-insured youths treated by nurse practitioners and physicians: A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Despite the growing involvement of nurse practitioners in mental health services for children and adolescents, little is known about the patterns of mental health service use among youths treated by nurse practitioners compared to those by physicians.

OBJECTIVES

To identify new users of psychotropic medications initiated by nurse practitioners and physicians among Medicaid-insured youths and to assess if receiving psychosocial services prior to or concurrent with medication initiation differs among youths treated by provider and specialty type.

DESIGN

A retrospective cohort study.

SETTINGS

We used Medicaid-insurance claims data in one mid-Atlantic state in the US.

PARTICIPANTS

A total 12,991 Medicaid-insured youths aged 0-20 years who started psychotropic medications prescribed by nurse practitioners or physicians with primary care or psychiatric specialty during 2013-2014.

METHODS

Providers were grouped into nurse practitioners and physicians and into primary care and psychiatric specialty. Descriptive statistics were performed to compare each class of psychotropic medications initiated and psychiatric diagnoses of enrollees according to provider type within each specialty. Using multinomial logistic regression with psychiatrists as a reference group, we estimated the odds of having a type of prescriber for psychotropic medication initiation for youths who received psychosocial services prior to a new start of the medication and concurrently, compared to that for those who did not, after adjusting for patients' demographic characteristics and diagnosis.

RESULTS

Youths served by nurse practitioners resided in small and non-metropolitan areas significantly more often than those served by their physician counterparts. There was no major difference in a class of psychotropic medications initiated by nurse practitioners and physicians within each specialty type, except a higher proportion of antidepressants (13.5% versus 10.5%) and a lower proportion of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medications prescribed (68.8% versus 74.0%) by primary care nurse practitioners compared to their physician counterparts. Youths who received psychosocial services prior to medication initiation were less likely to have primary care physicians (Adjusted odds ratio=0.15, 95% confidence interval=0.82, 1.33) or primary care nurse practitioners (Adjusted odds ratio=0.16, 95% confidence interval=0.12, 0.20) as their initiating prescriber than those who did not.

CONCLUSIONS

Youths treated by nurse practitioners and physicians with or without psychiatric specialty showed unique patterns of mental health service use. Our findings can be used to build effective collaborations among provider and specialty type for quality of mental health services delivered to targeted populations in need.

Sauver J, Rocca WA, Sutor B. Frequency and predictors of the potential overprescribing of antidepressants in elderly residents of a geographically defined U.S. population

The purpose of this study was to estimate the extent of potential antidepressant overprescribing in a geographically defined U.S. population, and to determine the indications and factors that account for it. We conducted a cohort study of new antidepressant prescriptions for elderly residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota, 2005-2012, using the Rochester Epidemiology Project medical records-linkage system. Indications for antidepressants were abstracted from health records for all cohort members. Potential antidepressant overprescribing was defined based on regulatory approval, the level of evidence identified from a standardized drug information database, and multidisciplinary expert review. Predictors of potential antidepressant overprescribing were investigated using logistic regression models, stratified by general antidepressant indication (general medical indication, specific psychiatric diagnosis, and non-specific psychiatric symptoms). Potential antidepressant overprescribing occurred in 24% of 3199 incident antidepressant prescriptions during the study period, and involved primarily newer antidepressants that were prescribed for non-specific psychiatric symptoms and subthreshold diagnoses. Potential antidepressant overprescribing was associated with nursing home residence, having a higher number of comorbid medical conditions and outpatient prescribers, taking more concomitant medications, having greater use of urgent or acute care services in the year preceding the index antidepressant prescription, and being prescribed antidepressants via telephone, e-mail, or patient portal. In conclusion, potential antidepressant overprescribing occurred in elderly persons and involved mainly newer antidepressants used for non-specific psychiatric symptoms and subthreshold diagnoses, and was associated with indicators of higher clinical complexity or severity and with prescribing without face-to-face patient contact.

Prevalence and Factors Associated With Psychiatric Medication Use in Bariatric Surgery Candidates

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to describe the rates of psychiatric medication use in bariatric surgery candidates and factors associated with psychiatric medication use.

METHODS

Patients from the Toronto Western Hospital Bariatric Surgery Program were recruited from 2011 to 2014. Data extracted included demographics, clinical factors (e.g., mood disorder, anxiety disorder, eating disorder, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7), and psychiatric medication use. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between demographic variables, clinical factors, and psychiatric medication use. Multiple logistic regression was conducted to determine the predictors of clinical factors from demographic variables with psychiatric medication use.

RESULTS

A total of 262 (35.1%) patients were taking at least 1 psychiatric medication and 105 patients (14.1%) were taking more than 1 psychiatric medication. Antidepressants were the most common psychiatric medication reported. The majority of patients taking a psychiatric medication had a psychiatric illness, with 16.0% not having a lifetime diagnosis of a mental illness. Being male and being employed significantly predicted lower odds of being on a psychiatric medication. Older age significantly predicted higher odds of being on a psychiatric medication. Psychiatric disorders were significantly associated with psychiatric medication use independent of demographic variables.

CONCLUSION

Our study provides insights into clinical and demographic factors related to psychiatric medication use in bariatric surgery patients. The findings support careful screening and clarification of psychiatric medications, especially in patients without a formal psychiatric diagnosis.

Initiation of new psychotropic prescriptions without a psychiatric diagnosis among US adults: Rates, correlates, and national trends from 2006 to 2015

OBJECTIVES

To estimate rates and national trends of initiation of new psychotropic medications without a psychiatric diagnosis and to identify demographic and clinical correlates independently associated with such use among US adults in outpatient settings.

DATA SOURCE

Data were gathered from the 2006-2015 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS), a nationally representative sample of office-based U.S. outpatient care. The sample was limited to adults aged 18 or older who received a new psychotropic drug prescription (n = 8618 unweighted).

STUDY DESIGN

Using a repeated cross-sectional design with survey sampling techniques, we estimated prescription initiation rates and national trends. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analysis was used to identify correlates independently associated with initiation of new psychotropic prescriptions without a psychiatric diagnosis.

DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS

Data were publicly available, and we extracted them from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Altogether, at 60.4% of visits at which a new psychotropic prescription was initiated, no psychiatric diagnosis was recorded for the visit. Overall, the rate increased from 59.1% in 2006-2007 to 67.7% in 2008-2009 and then decreased to 52.0% in 2014-2015. Visits to psychiatrists were associated with very low odds of having no psychiatric diagnosis when compared to primary care visits (OR = 0.02; 95% CI, 0.01-0.04). Visits to non-psychiatric specialists showed 6.90 times greater odds of not having a psychiatric diagnosis when compared to primary care visits (95% CI, 5.38-8.86).

CONCLUSION

New psychotropic medications are commonly initiated without any psychiatric diagnosis, especially by non-psychiatrist physicians. Non-psychiatrists should document relevant diagnoses more vigilantly to prevent potentially inappropriate use or misuse.

Are studies of psychotherapies for depression more or less generalizable than studies of antidepressants?

BACKGROUND

The generalizability of findings from studies exploring the efficacy of psychotherapy and antidepressants has been called into question in part because studies exclude many patients. Despite this, the frequency with which psychotherapy and antidepressant studies use specific inclusion and exclusion criteria has never been compared. We explored the exclusion criteria used in psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy studies from 1995 to 2014.

METHOD

Systematic literature searches were conducted in PubMed, Medline, PsycINFO, and Embase of published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults with either antidepressants (vs. placebos) or psychotherapy (vs. placebos, treatments as usual, or other controls).

RESULTS

Most psychotherapy (81%) and antidepressant (100%) trials excluded patients with milder symptoms as well as patients with elevated suicidal risk (56-75%), psychotic symptoms (84-88%), or substance misuse (75-81%). Psychotherapy studies were less likely to exclude patients on the basis of brief episode duration (0% vs. 48%) and co-morbid Axis I disorders (6% vs. 27%). However, psychotherapy studies excluded patients with more severe symptoms more frequently (38%) than antidepressant studies (8%).

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, psychotherapy studies appear somewhat more inclusive than antidepressant studies. On average, antidepressant studies appear to target patients with more chronic and severe, as well as more purely depressive presentations.

Potentially Inappropriate Antidepressant Prescriptions Among Older Adults in Office-Based Outpatient Settings: National Trends from 2002 to 2012

Using data from 2002 to 2012 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, we estimated that the prevalence of overall antidepressant prescriptions increased almost twofold from 5.2% in 2002 to 10.1% in 2012 in office-based outpatient visits made by older adults. In addition, older adults were exposed to the risk of potentially avoidable adverse drug events in approximately one in ten antidepressant-related visits, or 2.2 million visits annually. Amitriptyline and doxepin were the two most frequent disease-independent potentially inappropriate antidepressants. Racial/ethnic minorities, and Medicaid beneficiaries had higher odds of potentially inappropriate antidepressant prescriptions (P < 0.05). Efforts to minimize potentially inappropriate antidepressant prescriptions are needed.

Social inequality, scientific inequality, and the future of mental illness

BACKGROUND

Despite five decades of increasingly elegant studies aimed at advancing the pathophysiology and treatment of mental illness, the results have not met expectations. Diagnoses are still based on observation, the clinical history, and an outmoded diagnostic system that stresses the historic goal of disease specificity. Psychotropic drugs are still based on molecular targets developed decades ago, with no increase in efficacy. Numerous biomarkers have been proposed, but none have the requisite degree of sensitivity and specificity, and therefore have no usefulness in the clinic. The obvious lack of progress in psychiatry needs exploration.

METHODS

The historical goals of psychiatry are reviewed, including parity with medicine, a focus on diagnostic reliability rather than validity, and an emphasis on reductionism at the expense of socioeconomic issues. Data are used from Thomas Picketty and others to argue that our failure to advance clinical care may rest in part on the rise in social and economic inequality that began in the 1970s, and in part on our inability to move beyond the medical model of specificity of disease and treatment.

RESULTS

It is demonstrated herein that the historical goal of specificity of disease and treatment has not only impeded the advance of diagnosis and treatment of mental illness, but, in combination with a rapid increase in socioeconomic inequality, has led to poorer outcomes and rising mortality rates in a number of disorders, including schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression.

CONCLUSIONS

It is proposed that Psychiatry should recognize the fact of socioeconomic inequality and its effects on mental disorders. The medical model, with its emphasis on diagnostic and treatment specificity, may not be appropriate for investigation of the brain, given its complexity. The rise of scientific inequality, with billions allocated to connectomics and genetics, may shift attention away from the need for improvements in clinical care. Unfortunately, the future prospects of those suffering from mental illness appear dim.

National Trends in Antidepressant, Benzodiazepine, and Other Sedative-Hypnotic Treatment of Older Adults in Psychiatric and Primary Care

OBJECTIVE

To describe how use of antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and other anxiolytic/sedative-hypnotics among older adults (age ≥ 65 years) has changed over time among visits to primary care providers and psychiatrists.

METHODS

Data were from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (years 2003-2005 and 2010-2012), a nationally representative cross-section of outpatient physician visits. Analysis focused on visits to primary care providers (n = 14,282) and psychiatrists (n = 1,095) at which an antidepressant, benzodiazepine, or other anxiolytic/sedative-hypnotic was prescribed, which were stratified by demographic and clinical characteristic (including ICD-9-CM diagnosis) and compared across study intervals. Odds of medication use were calculated for each stratum, adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics.

RESULTS

The visit rate by older adults to primary care providers where any of the medications were prescribed rose from 16.4% to 21.8% (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.43, P < .001) while remaining steady among psychiatrists (75.4% vs 68.5%; AOR = 0.69, P = .11). Primary care visits rose for antidepressants (9.9% to 12.3%; AOR = 1.28, P = .01) and other anxiolytic/sedative-hypnotics (3.4% to 4.7%; AOR = 1.39, P = .01), but the largest growth was among benzodiazepines (5.6% to 8.7%; AOR = 1.62, P < .001). Among patients in primary care, increases primarily occurred among men, non-Hispanic white patients, and those with pain diagnoses as well as those with no mental health or pain diagnoses.

CONCLUSIONS

From 2003 to 2012, use of the most common psychotropic medications among older adults seen in primary care increased, with concentration among patients with no mental health or pain diagnosis. As the population of older adults grows and receives mental health treatment in primary care, it is critical to examine the appropriateness of psychotropic use.

Explaining the variation between practices in the duration of new antidepressant treatment: a database cohort study in primary care

BACKGROUND

Practices vary in the duration of newly initiated antidepressant treatment, even after adjusting for patient characteristics. It was hypothesised that this may be because of differences between practices in demographic (practice deprivation and antidepressant prescribing rates), organisational (practice size and proportion of female GPs), and clinical factors (proportion of new episodes of depression coded).

AIM

To examine the effect of practice characteristics on the duration of new selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant treatment in primary care.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Database cohort study of 28 027 patients from 237 GP practices in Scotland.

METHOD

Prescription data were used to estimate duration of treatment for individual patients beyond three time points: 30, 90, and 180 days. Data at patient and practice level were analysed by multilevel logistic regression to quantify the variation between practices.

RESULTS

The mean rate of diagnostic coding for depression in patients beginning a course of treatment was 29% (range 0-80%). Practice-level deprivation and rate of new antidepressant prescribing were not associated with duration of treatment. The practice level factor most strongly associated with duration of treatment at practice level was the proportion of patients coded as having depression: odds ratio for continuing beyond 30 days was 1.54 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.22 to 1.94); beyond 90 days, 1.37 (95% CI = 1.09 to 1.71); and beyond 180 days 1.41 (95% CI = 1.10 to 1.82).

CONCLUSION

Encouraging coding and structured follow-up at the onset of treatment of depression is likely to reduce early discontinuation of antidepressant treatment and improve outcomes.

Self-reported indications for antidepressant use in a population-based cohort of middle-aged and elderly

Background Population-based studies investigating indications for antidepressant prescribing mostly rely on diagnoses from general practitioners. However, diagnostic codes might be incomplete and drugs may be prescribed ‘off-label’ for indications not investigated in clinical trials. Objective We aimed to study indications for antidepressant use based on self-report. Also, we studied the presence of depressive symptoms associated with the self-reported indications. Setting Our study population of antidepressant users was selected based on interview data between 1997 and 2013 from the prospective population-based Rotterdam Study cohort (age >45 years). Method Antidepressant use, self-reported indication for use, and presence of depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale) were based on interview. Self-reported indications were categorized by the researchers into officially approved, clinically-accepted and commonly mentioned off-label indications. Main outcome measures A score of 16 and higher on the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale was considered as indicator for clinically-relevant depressive symptoms. Results The majority of 914 antidepressant users reported ‘depression’ (52.4 %) as indication for treatment. Furthermore, anxiety, stress and sleep disorders were reported in selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and other antidepressant users (ranging from 5.9 to 13.3 %). The indication ‘pain’ was commonly mentioned by tricyclic antidepressant users (19.0 %). Indications were statistically significantly associated with higher depressive symptom scores when compared to non-users (n = 10,979). Conclusions Depression was the main indication for antidepressant treatment. However, our findings suggest that antidepressants are also used for off-label indications, subthreshold disorders and complex situations, which were all associated with clinically-relevant depressive symptoms in the middle-aged and elderly population.

Heterogeneity in the prognosis of major depression: from the common cold to a highly debilitating and recurrent illness

Two different and seemingly competing views on the diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) exist. The first is that the diagnosis conflates adaptive sadness reactions with pathological states of depressed mood and that MDD is overdiagnosed and overtreated. The second is that MDD is an underdiagnosed and undertreated disorder, and one that is best characterised by a severe, chronic, recurrent or treatment-resistant course. Existing research suggests that both views are valid and merit being integrated. Anywhere from 30 to 50% of individuals will meet criteria for MDD at some point in their life. About half of these episodes are of brief duration and unlikely to recur. However, a remaining half is either chronic or recurrent. Data on the outpatient diagnosis of depression support the view that depression is simultaneously underdiagnosed and undertreated as well as overdiagnosed and overtreated. About one-third of the patients who meet criteria for MDD and receive placebos experience clinically significant and long-lasting improvement. Many other patients, however, are unresponsive to one or multiple active treatments. Thus, the diagnosis of MDD likely applies to individuals who are experiencing either normal periods of sadness or single-episode afflictions that are mild, unlikely to recur, and are placebo responsive, as well as to individuals with more severe clinical profiles. More research is needed that can help ascertain what contextual or biopsychological variables help distinguish between individuals who may be experiencing adaptive states of negative affect and those who experience severe, chronic, recurrent or treatment-resistant depressions.

Antidepressants are not overprescribed for mild depression

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate overprescribing of antidepressant medication for minimal or mild depression.

METHOD

Electronic records data from 4 large health care systems identified outpatients aged 18 years or older starting a new episode of antidepressant treatment in 2011 with an ICD-9 diagnosis of depressive disorder (296.2, 296.3, 311, or 300.4). Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) depression severity scores at time of treatment initiation were used to examine the distribution of baseline severity and the association between baseline severity and patients' demographic and clinical characteristics.

RESULTS

Of 19,751 adults beginning treatment in 2011, baseline PHQ-9 scores were available for 7,051. In those with a baseline score, 85% reported moderate or severe symptoms (PHQ-9 score of 10 or more), 12% reported mild symptoms (PHQ-9 score of 5 to 9), and 3% reported minimal symptoms (PHQ-9 score of less than 5). The proportion reporting minimal or mild symptoms when starting treatment increased with age, ranging from 11% in those under age 65 years to 26% in those aged 65 and older. The proportion with minimal or mild symptoms was also moderately higher among patients living in wealthier neighborhoods and those treated by psychiatrists. Nevertheless, across all subgroups defined by sex, race/ethnicity, prescriber specialty, and treatment history, the proportions with minimal or mild symptoms did not exceed 18%. Secondary analyses, including weighting and subgroup analyses, found no evidence that estimates of baseline severity were biased by missing PHQ-9 scores.

CONCLUSIONS

In these health systems, prescribing of antidepressant medication for minimal or mild depression is much less common than suggested by previous reports. Given that this practice may sometimes be clinically appropriate, our findings indicate that overprescribing of antidepressants for mild depression is not a significant public health concern.

Differential characteristics of young and midlife adult users of psychotherapy, psychotropic medications, or both: information from a population representative sample in São Paulo, Brazil

OBJECTIVE

While the personal characteristics of users of psychotherapy and/or psychotropic medications have been examined, direct user comparison of these treatment approaches appears to be rare. Our aim is to ascertain extent of receipt of these services, and identify basic distinguishing characteristics of users.

METHODS

Information on demographics, lifetime and past 12 month use of mental health services, and presence of common mental disorders (CMD), was gathered in 2002 using a multi-stage sampling procedure that yielded a population-representative, community-resident sample (N = 2000, age 18-65) for São Paulo, Brazil. Analysis used descriptive statistics and logistic regression.

RESULTS

Overall, 9.3% reported receiving psychotherapy and/or psychotropic medication, 54.3% of whom did not meet CMD criteria. Of those meeting criteria for CMD (n = 455, 22.8%), 2.9% reported only psychotherapy, 10.1% reported only psychotropic medication, and 5.7% reported both. CMD was associated with use of psychotropic medication (psychotropic medication alone, Odds Ratio (OR) 3.58, 95% CI 2.33-5.52; together with psychotherapy, OR 4.17, 95% CI 2.34-7.44). CMD was not associated with use of psychotherapy. Users' distinguishing characteristics were: psychotherapy only--not married; psychotropics only--increasing age, female, not married; using both--only CMD status. Neither education nor income was associated with use.

CONCLUSIONS

Nearly 10% of all community residents age 18-65, but less than a fifth of the 23% with CMD, received psychotherapy and/or psychotropic medication. Non-married status increased odds of all treatment types, but CMD presence increased only odds of psychotropic and combined psychotherapy/psychotropic use, with odds of psychotropic only use increasing with age, and for women. Use was equitable with respect to education and income.

Older adults recently started on psychotropic medication: where are the symptoms?

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to understand the characteristics of older adults on newly prescribed psychotropic medication with minimal psychiatric symptoms.

METHODS

Naturalistic cohort study of non-institutionalized older adults in Pennsylvania participating in the Pharmaceutical Assistance Contract for the Elderly. Persons newly prescribed antidepressant or anxiolytic monotherapy or combination therapy were contacted for clinical assessment by a telephone-based behavioral health service. The initial assessment included standardized mental health screening instruments and scales including the Blessed Orientation-Memory-Concentration test, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, and Medical Outcomes Survey (SF-12). In addition, patients were asked for their understanding of the prescription indication.

RESULTS

Of the 254 participants who met minimal symptom criteria (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 < 5 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 < 5), women comprised slightly more of the anxiolytic compared with antidepressant monotherapy group (88.9% vs. 76.7%, p = 0.04). The most common self-reported reason for prescription of an antidepressant or anxiolytic was depression or anxiety, respectively, despite near-absence of these symptoms on clinical assessment. Comparing monotherapy to combination therapy groups, those with combination therapy were more likely to report a history of depression (12.6% vs. 1.8%, p < 0.001) and also report depression as the reason for the prescription (40.2% vs. 21.0%, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

In this sample of older adults on new psychotropic medication with minimal psychiatric symptoms, there are few patient characteristics that distinguish those on antidepressant versus anxiolytic monotherapy or those on monotherapy versus combination therapy. While quality of care in late-life mental health has focused on improving detection and treatment, there should be further attention to low-symptom patients potentially receiving inappropriate pharmacotherapy.

Trends in the dispensation of antidepressant drugs over the past decade (2000-2010) in Andalusia, Spain

PURPOSE

To study antidepressant drug dispensation in the Spanish region of Andalusia and in the Almeria Health Area (AHA) over the past decade, analyzing the variability, trends, and influential factors.

METHODS

We conducted an observational ecological study of antidepressant drug dispensation between 2000 and 2010 in Andalusia. Dispensation was measured as Defined Daily Dose (DDD) per 1,000 inhabitants per day. A multilevel analysis (STATA 11.1) was performed to determine the variability among the basic health zones (BHZs) (2004-2010) and influential factors.

RESULTS

Between 2000 and 2010, the total dispensation of antidepressant drugs increased by more than 100 % in Andalusia and in the AHA. This increase was primarily caused by the greater dispensation of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (ATC-N06AB) and other antidepressants (ATC-N06AX). Multilevel analysis revealed a wide variability in the levels and trends of antidepressant dispensation among BHZs. Urbanicity and the percentage of immigrants in the BHZ were negatively associated with their dispensation, which was positively influenced by a higher proportion of women and over 65-year-olds in the population.

CONCLUSIONS

The elevated dispensation of several groups of antidepressant drugs in this study population indicates the need for health policies to rationalize their use. Further research is required into the differences in antidepressant dispensations between immigrant and native populations and the implications for public health policies.

How do GP practices and patient characteristics influence the prescription of antidepressants? A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Under-prescription of antidepressants (ADs) among people meeting the criteria for major depressive episodes and excessive prescription in less symptomatic patients have been reported. The reasons influencing general practitioners' (GPs) prescription of ADs remain little explored. This study aimed at assessing the influence of GP and patient characteristics on AD prescription.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was based on a sample of 816 GPs working within the main health care insurance system in the Seine-Maritime district of France during 2010. Only GPs meeting the criteria for full-time GP practice were included. The ratio of AD prescription to overall prescription volume, a relative measure of AD prescription level, was calculated for each GP, using the defined daily dose (DDD) concept. Associations of this AD prescription ratio with GPs' age, gender, practice location, number of years of practice, number of days of sickness certificates prescribed, number of home visits and consultations, number and mean age of registered patients, mean patient income, and number of patients with a chronic condition were assessed using univariate and multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

The high prescribers were middle-aged (40-59) urban GPs, with a moderate number of consultations and fewer low-income and chronic patients. GPs' workload (e.g., volume of prescribed drug reimbursement and number of consultations) had no influence on the AD prescription ratio. GPs with more patients with risk factors for depression prescribed fewer ADs, however, which could suggest the medications were under-prescribed among the at-risk population.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study described a profile of the typical higher AD prescriber that did not include heavy workload. In future work, a more detailed assessment of all biopsychosocial components of the consultation and other influences on GP behavior such as prior training would be useful to explain AD prescription in GP's practice.

Antidepressant use and lifetime history of mental disorders in a community sample: results from the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area Study

OBJECTIVE

Past studies have shown that many individuals who use antidepressants have no current or lifetime history of mental disorders. However, recent studies suggest that the one-time retrospective evaluation of mental disorders commonly used in such studies may substantially underestimate the true lifetime prevalence of mental disorders. We examined the prevalence of mental disorders, assessed prospectively over multiple interviews, among individuals currently using antidepressants in a community sample.

METHOD

Using data from the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) Study Wave 1 (1981) through Wave 4 (2004-2005) (N = 1,071), we assessed lifetime prevalence of common mood and anxiety disorders according to DSM-III and DSM-III-R criteria, based on 4 interviews, among participants who reported current antidepressant use. Furthermore, we examined factors associated with current antidepressant use.

RESULTS

Thirteen percent of participants at Wave 4 reported currently using antidepressant medications. Among antidepressant users, 69% never met criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD); and 38% never met criteria for MDD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, social phobia, or generalized anxiety disorder in their lifetime. Female gender, Caucasian ethnicity, recent or current physical problems (eg, loss of bladder control, hypertension, and back pain), and recent mental health facility visits were associated with antidepressant use in addition to mental disorders.

CONCLUSIONS

Many individuals who are prescribed and use antidepressant medications may not have met criteria for mental disorders. Our data indicate that antidepressants are commonly used in the absence of clear evidence-based indications.

Depression, antidepressants, and bone health in older adults: a systematic review

OBJECTIVES

To examine the association between depression, antidepressant use, and bone health in older adults and the implications for treatment.

DESIGN

Systematic review.

SETTING

All studies that measured depression or antidepressant exposure and bone mineral density (BMD).

PARTICIPANTS

Adults aged 60 and older.

MEASUREMENTS

Age, site of BMD measurement using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), measure of depression or depressive symptoms, association between BMD changes, and depression or antidepressant use.

RESULTS

Nineteen observational studies met the final inclusion criteria; no experimental studies were found. Several cross-sectional and longitudinal studies found that depression or depressive symptoms were associated with a decrease in BMD. Few studies and only two longitudinal studies addressed the association between serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) antidepressant use and a decrease in BMD and they had conflicting results.

CONCLUSION

Depression and depressive symptoms are associated with low bone mass and accelerated bone loss in older adults; putative mechanisms underlying this relationship are discussed. There is insufficient evidence that SRI antidepressants adversely affect bone health. Thus, a change in current recommendations for the use of antidepressants in older adults is not justified at the present time. Given the high public health significance of this question, more studies are required to determine whether (and in whom) antidepressants may be deleterious for bone health.

National prevalence of receipt of antidepressant prescriptions by persons without a psychiatric diagnosis

OBJECTIVE

The study addressed recent concerns regarding increasing prescription of antidepressant drugs to patients with no recorded psychiatric diagnosis.

METHODS

Records from ten large integrated health systems in the Mental Health Research Network were used to examine diagnoses received by 1,011,946 health plan members who filled at least one antidepressant prescription in 2010.

RESULTS

Among individuals filling antidepressant prescriptions, psychiatric diagnoses recorded during the year were depressive disorders (48%), anxiety disorders (27%), bipolar disorders (3%), and attention deficit disorders (3%). The proportion of those filling prescriptions who had no psychiatric diagnosis was 39%, which fell to 27% after the analysis excluded prescriptions for antidepressants often prescribed for nonpsychiatric indications (tricyclic antidepressants, trazodone, and bupropion).

CONCLUSIONS

Prescription of antidepressants to patients without an appropriate diagnosis appears to be less common than previously reported.

Suicide mortality in relation to dietary intake of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and fish: equivocal findings from 3 large US cohort studies

Intake of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of depression. We sought to estimate the association between intake of fish and n-3 and n-6 PUFAs and suicide mortality over the course of long-term follow-up. In this prospective cohort study, biennial questionnaires were administered to 42,290 men enrolled in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1988-2008), 72,231 women enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study (1986-2008), and 90,836 women enrolled in Nurses' Health Study II (1993-2007). Dietary fish and n-3 and n-6 PUFA intakes were assessed every 4 years using a validated food-frequency questionnaire. Suicide mortality was ascertained through blind physician review of death certificates and hospital or pathology reports. Adjusted relative risks of suicide mortality were estimated with multivariable Cox proportional hazards models and pooled across cohorts using random-effects meta-analysis. The pooled multivariable relative risks for suicide among persons in the highest quartile of intake of n-3 or n-6 PUFAs, relative to the lowest quartile, ranged from 1.08 to 1.46 for n-3 PUFAs (Ptrend = 0.11-0.52) and from 0.68 to 1.19 for n-6 PUFAs (Ptrend = 0.09-0.54). We did not find evidence that intake of n-3 PUFAs or fish lowered the risk of completed suicide.

Increased risk among older veterans of prescribing psychotropic medication in the absence of psychiatric diagnoses

OBJECTIVE

This study uses Veterans Health Administration (VHA) pharmacy and encounter claims to evaluate the use of psychotropic medications without a psychiatric diagnosis across age groups.

METHODS

National VHA administrative data for fiscal year 2010 (FY2010) were used to identify all veterans who filled a prescription for at least one psychotropic medication from VHA (N = 1.85 million). Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to compare the proportion of these veterans without any psychiatric diagnosis, across age groups, adjusting for possible medical indications. Analyses were repeated for six different classes of psychotropic medications and comparing mental health utilizers and non-mental health utilizers. Comparisons were made to prescribing of HIV and diabetes medications without an indicated diagnosis.

RESULTS

Of all VHA patients prescribed a psychotropic medication in FY2010, 30% had no psychiatric diagnosis, with highest proportions among veterans ages 65-85. This practice was most frequent among nonmental health utilizers and far more prevalent for psychotropic medications than for HIV or diabetes medications. Logistic regression analysis found that age greater than 65 was the strongest predictor of being prescribed a psychotropic without a psychiatric diagnosis. Adjustment for possible medical use of psychotropics and overall medical comorbidity did not substantially alter these trends.

CONCLUSION

Older veterans, especially those not using specialty mental healthcare, are more likely to be prescribed psychotropic medications in the absence of a psychiatric diagnosis, perhaps representing unnecessary use, under-diagnosis of mental illness, or incomplete documentation.

Antidepressant prescribing in five European countries: application of common definitions to assess the prevalence, clinical observations, and methodological implications

PURPOSE

Drug utilization studies have applied different methods to various data types to describe medication use, which hampers comparisons across populations. The aim of this study was to describe the time trends in antidepressant prescribing in the last decade and the variation in the prevalence, calculated in a uniform manner, in seven European electronic healthcare databases.

METHODS

Annual prevalence per 10,000 person-years (PYs) was calculated for 2001-2009 in databases from Spain, Germany, Denmark, the United Kingdom (UK), and the Netherlands. Prevalence data were stratified according to age, sex, antidepressant type (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors [SSRIs] or tricyclic antidepressants [TCAs]) and major indications.

RESULTS

The age- and sex-standardized prevalence was lowest in the two Dutch (391 and 429 users per 10,000 PYs) and highest in the two UK (913 and 936 users per 10,000 PYs) populations in 2008. The prevalence in the Danish, German, and Spanish populations was 637, 618, and 644 users per 10,000 PY respectively. Antidepressants were prescribed most often in 20- to 60-year-olds in the two UK populations compared with the others. SSRIs were prescribed more often than TCAs in all except the German population. In the majority of countries we observed an increasing trend of antidepressant prescribing over time. Two different methods identifying recorded indications yielded different ranges of proportions of patients recorded with the specific indication (15-57% and 39-69% for depression respectively).

CONCLUSION

Despite applying uniform methods, variations in the prevalence of antidepressant prescribing were obvious in the different populations. Database characteristics and clinical factors may both explain these variations.

Common mental disorder diagnosis and need for treatment are not the same: findings from a population-based longitudinal survey

BACKGROUND

Controversy exists regarding whether people in the community who meet criteria for a non-psychotic mental disorder diagnosis are necessarily in need of treatment. Some have argued that these individuals require treatment and that policy makers need to develop outreach programs for them, whereas others have argued that the current epidemiologic studies may be diagnosing symptoms of distress that in many cases are self-limiting and likely to remit without treatment. All prior studies that have addressed this issue have been cross-sectional. We examined the longitudinal outcomes of individuals with depressive, anxiety and substance use (DAS) disorder(s) who had not previously received any treatment. Method Data came from a nationally representative US sample. A total of 34 653 non-institutionalized adults (age ≥20 years) were interviewed at two time points, 3 years apart. DAS disorders, mental health service use and quality of life (QoL) were assessed at both time points.

RESULTS

Individuals with a DAS disorder who had not previously received any treatment were significantly more likely than those who had been previously treated to have remission of their index disorder(s) without subsequent treatment, to be free of co-morbid disorder(s) and not to have attempted suicide during the 3-year follow-up period (50.7% v. 33.0% respectively, p < 0.05). At wave 2, multiple linear regression demonstrated that people with a remission of their baseline DAS disorder(s) had levels of functioning similar to those without a DAS disorder.

CONCLUSIONS

Individuals with an untreated DAS disorder at baseline have a substantial likelihood of remission without any subsequent intervention.

Escitalopram reduces attentional performance in anxious older adults with high-expression genetic variants at serotonin 2A and 1B receptors

Older adults are among the most vulnerable to adverse cognitive effects of psychotropic medications and, therefore, the personalization of psychotropic treatment based on adverse drug reactions in this demographic is of great importance. We examined changes on neuropsychological tests of attention attributable to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment in anxious older adults. We also examined whether variation in serotonin receptor genes was associated with reduced attentional performance with SSRIs. We examined change from pre- to post-treatment in two attention measures - digit span and coding - in 133 adults aged ≥60 yr with generalized anxiety disorder in a 12-wk trial of escitalopram vs. placebo. We also examined attentional change in relation to genetic variability in four central serotonin receptors: the serotonin transporter and serotonin 1A, 2A and 1B receptors. Digit span scores were significantly lowered in patients receiving escitalopram relative to placebo, indicating reduced attentional performance attributable to the SSRI. Individuals with high-transcription variants in the receptors 5-HTR2A rs6311 and 5-HTR1B rs11568817 had greater reductions in attention with SSRI treatment compared to placebo. We conclude that SSRIs reduce attention in older adults, particularly in those with high-expression genetic variants at the serotonin 2A and 1B receptors. Analysing neuropsychological changes with SSRIs in relation to genetic variation in the serotonin system may be a useful strategy for detecting subgroups of older adults who are more susceptible to side-effects of SSRIs. These results, if confirmed, could lead to the personalization of SSRI use to reduce adverse neurocognitive effects.

Weight gain and glucose dysregulation with second-generation antipsychotics and antidepressants: a review for primary care physicians

Second-generation antipsychotics (SGAPs) and second-generation antidepressants (SGADs) have multiple US Food and Drug Administration-approved indications and are frequently prescribed by primary care physicians. We review the relative potential of these drugs to cause weight gain and glucose dysregulation, and offer clinical guidance to minimize and manage this risk. Among SGAPs, clozapine and olanzapine have a high risk for causing weight gain and glucose dysregulation; iloperidone, paliperidone, quetiapine, and risperidone have a medium risk; and aripiprazole, asenapine, lurasidone, and ziprasidone have a low risk. Young, drug-naïve patients are particularly vulnerable to weight gain associated with SGAPs. With the exception of clozapine, SGAPs have modest differences in their efficacy; however, their side effect profiles may influence selection. Using SGAPs with high metabolic liability conservatively and limiting their off-label use are important means to minimize risk. Patients should be screened before initiating any SGAP (or any antipsychotic medication) and monitored subsequently following standard guidelines, such as those provided by the American Diabetes Association. Healthy lifestyle counseling should be offered to all patients. Patients showing evidence of significant weight gain should be switched to an SGAP with a lower metabolic liability. Metformin may have some utility in young patients with limited exposure to antipsychotic drugs if lifestyle interventions fail and switching the SGAP is not an option. This option should be tried sooner than later for the best possible result. For SGADs, paroxetine and mirtazapine are associated with weight gain, and bupropion may cause modest weight loss. Other SGADs are mostly weight neutral, but individual variations may occur. Depression is associated with weight change and is a risk factor for glucose dysregulation. Treatment of depression improves glucose metabolism. We recommend that all patients taking SGADs be screened using anthropometric measures and metabolic assessment at baseline. Monitoring should be guided individually based on weight gain and other risk factors.

Mental illness and mental health: is the glass half empty or half full?

During the past century, the scope of mental health intervention in North America has gradually expanded from an initial focus on hospitalized patients with psychoses to outpatients with neurotic disorders, including the so-called worried well. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), Fifth Edition, is further embracing the concept of a mental illness spectrum, such that increasing attention to the softer end of the continuum can be expected in the future. This anticipated shift rekindles important questions about how mental illness is defined, how to distinguish between mental disorders and normal reactions, whether psychiatry is guilty of prevalence inflation, and when somatic therapies should be used to treat problems of living. Such debates are aptly illustrated by the example of complicated bereavement, which is best characterized as a form of adjustment disorder. Achieving an overarching definition of mental illness is challenging, owing to the many different contexts in which DSM diagnoses are used. Careful analyses of such contextual utility must inform future decisions about what ends up in DSM, as well as how mental illness is defined by public health policy and society at large. A viable vision for the future of psychiatry should include a spectrum model of mental health (as opposed to exclusively mental illness) that incorporates graded, evidence-based interventions delivered by a range of providers at each point along its continuum.

Proportion of antidepressants prescribed without a psychiatric diagnosis is growing

Over the past two decades, the use of antidepressant medications has grown to the point that they are now the third most commonly prescribed class of medications in the United States. Much of this growth has been driven by a substantial increase in antidepressant prescriptions by nonpsychiatrist providers without an accompanying psychiatric diagnosis. Our analysis found that between 1996 and 2007, the proportion of visits at which antidepressants were prescribed but no psychiatric diagnoses were noted increased from 59.5 percent to 72.7 percent. These results do not clearly indicate a rise in inappropriate antidepressant use, but they highlight the need to gain a deeper understanding of the factors driving this national trend and to develop effective policy responses. To the extent that antidepressants are being prescribed for uses not supported by clinical evidence, there may be a need to improve providers' prescribing practices, revamp drug formularies, or vigorously pursue implementation of broad reforms of the health care system that will increase communication between primary care providers and mental health specialists.