Response to antidepressants among patients with unipolar depression with and without comorbid epilepsy-a nation-wide population-based longitudinal study

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelForskningfagfællebedømt

Objective: In a nation-wide population-based longitudinal register linkage study to investigate long-term response to antidepressants in patients with depression with and without comorbid epilepsy. Methods: We used Danish nation-wide population-based longitudinal register linkage to identify 1487 patients with depression and comorbid epilepsy and 71,163 patients with depression without comorbid epilepsy during a study period from 1995 to 2017. Response was defined as continuous monotherapy with an antidepressant drug without switch to or add-on of another antidepressant drug, an antipsychotic drug or lithium or hospitalization during an up to ten-year follow-up period. We calculated standardized absolute risks and differences thereof with respect to age, gender, socioeconomic status and comorbidity with other physical disorders than epilepsy. Results: In patients with depression, response to antidepressants was decreased with versus without comorbid epilepsy during the ten-year follow-up period. One year after start of antidepressant treatment the proportion of responders was 12% (CI: 10%-14%) lower in patients with versus without comorbid epilepsy in the standardized population. Response to antidepressants were specifically decreased among younger and unemployed patients with depression and comorbid epilepsy. Limitations: We did not include sub-analyses according to subtypes of epilepsy. Conclusions: Response to antidepressants was decreased in patients with comorbid epilepsy versus without comorbid epilepsy at all time points during a ten-year follow-up period. The study highlights the need for closely clinical monitoring and psychological support for patients with depression and comorbid epilepsy and emphasize the need for further long-term studies of effect of interventions.

OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftJournal of Affective Disorders
Vol/bind299
Sider (fra-til)1-5
Antal sider5
ISSN0165-0327
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 15 feb. 2022

Bibliografisk note

Funding Information:
The Lundbeck foundation funded the study (R279?2018?1145). The Lundbeck foundation funded the study (R279?2018?1145). Ethical approval of anonymous register studies is not needed according to Danish law. Data approval: The study was approved by the Data agency of the Capital Region of Denmark. Data is not available.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier B.V.

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