Treatment and outcomes for patients with depression who are partial responders to SSRI treatment: Post-hoc analysis findings from the FINDER European observational study

• Published in: Journal of affective disorders Vol. 169; pp. 149 - 156
• Main Authors: Lenox-Smith, A, Martinez, J.M, Perahia, D, Dowsett, S.A, Dennehy, E.B, Lopez-Romero, P, Demyttenaere, K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier B.V 01-12-2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation - pharmacology; Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Cohort Studies; Depression; Depression - drug therapy; Depressive Disorder - drug therapy; Depressive Disorder - psychology; Europe; Female; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Mood disorders; Observational study; Partial response; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Quality of Life; Remission; Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors - pharmacology; Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Treatment Outcome; Europe; Partial response; Depression; Remission; Observational study; Mood disorder; Human; Treatment; Partial; Treatment efficiency; Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
• ISSN: 0165-0327; 1573-2517
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2014.08.003

Abstract Background Remission is the goal in depression, but in practice many patients only experience a partial response to treatment. We sought to determine the prevalence, management and subsequent outcomes of partial responder patients. Methods Patients enrolled in the naturalistic Factors Influencing Depression Endpoints Research (FINDER) study with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale depression subscale (HADS-D) score >10 at baseline who received only SSRI(s) between 0 and 3 months comprised the study cohort ( n =1147). Patients were categorized as remitters, partial responders or non-responders at 3 months and then followed up at 6 months. Results At 3 months, 29.4% of the study population were considered non-responders, 27.6% were partial responders, and 39.3% were remitters. Most partial responders at 3 months remained on the same SSRI for the next 3 months. Of the 247 partial responders at 3 months and remained on the same SSRI(s) between 3 and 6 months, 10.9% met criteria for non-response at 6 months, 32.4% remained partial responders, and 56.3% achieved remission. Quality of life outcomes for the partial responders were significantly worse than those in remission ( p <0.05). Limitations FINDER was an observational study; the current analysis was conducted post-hoc. Multivariable methods were not applied and findings are primarily descriptive and exploratory. Conclusions Partial response is common and patients in partial response have a poorer quality of life than those achieving remission. Despite this, the majority of partial responders continue to take the same SSRI. Our findings underscore the importance of continuing to strive for remission.