Outcome of First-admission Depression Treated in a Specialized Mood Disorders Service

This study describes the treatment and medium-term outcomes of a cohort of first-admission depressed patients with less treatment-resistant illness treated in a specialized MDU.

Methods:

A cohort of 137 consecutive first-admission depressed patients, referred to an MDU over 2 years, were interviewed using standardized schedules and followed up prospectively from admission for ∼18 months to describe baseline characteristics, treatment, outcome, and predictors of outcome. Times to recovery and recurrence were evaluated using survival analyses and predictors of outcome were examined using bivariate and multivariate regression analyses.

Results:

On admission, 75% of the 137 patients had depression that had been found to be resistant to pharmacological treatment, and 34% had been chronically depressed (>2 y). Over half of the patients had likely maladaptive personality traits and one third had at least 1 comorbid psychiatric disorder. By discharge, a significantly higher proportion of the patients were being prescribed very high (P

Source: Journal of Psychiatric Practice - November 1, 2020 Category: Psychiatry Tags: Articles Source Type: research