Therapeutic strategies used on treatment of depression. Dria study

Abstract

Introduction

There are few clinical studies about strategies used in depression in clinical practice.

Objectives

Describe therapeutic strategies used in psychiatric care in patients with depression who had a suboptimal response to standard antidepressants under real-life conditions.

Methods

Non-interventional study that included a prospective cohort of outpatients diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) who needed a change on the treatment. Strategies were group as: switch of antidepressant, combination of antidepressants, augmentation or a combination of previous strategies. Follow-up period was 22-26 weeks.

Results

364 patients were included by 58 psychiatrists, 336 were analyzed (92.3%) and 315 (86.5%) completed the follow-up.

[Strategies selected in each change]

[Relationship between no. changes and no. strategie]

Conclusions

Strategies more used were: switch to another antidepressant, combination of antidepressant, augmentation and multiple strategies.

Although a change of treatment was decided, frequently it was selected a strategy used in the past.

This study has been sponsored by AstraZeneca Farmaceutica Spain, SA.