Effect of antidepressant treatment on longitudinal depressive burden in patients with bipolar depression
10.3760/cma.j.cn113661-20240809-00269
- VernacularTitle:抗抑郁药使用对双相抑郁患者疾病纵向抑郁负担的影响
- Author:
Yue ZHU
1
;
Zhiying LI
;
Huimin GAO
;
Jun JI
;
Shuzhe ZHOU
;
Xin YU
;
Yantao MA
Author Information
1. 北京大学第六医院 北京大学精神卫生研究所 国家卫生健康委员会精神卫生学重点实验室（北京大学）国家精神心理疾病临床医学研究中心（北京大学第六医院），北京100191
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Bipolar disorder;
Bipolar depression;
Antidepressant;
Depressive burden;
Naturalistic follow-up study
- From:
Chinese Journal of Psychiatry
2025;58(2):134-140
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To examine the effect of antidepressant treatment on the longitudinal depressive burden in patients with bipolar depression.Methods:Subjects were recruited from a national multicenter, naturalistic observational project: Comprehensive Assessment and Follow-up Descriptive Study on Bipolar Disorder study (CAFE-BD). A total of 110 patients with bipolar depression (51 males, 59 females; aged 18-64 years, mean age 34.4±11.1 years) were consecutively enrolled between January 2012 and December 2013 from outpatients and inpatients of nine medical institutions, including six psychiatric hospitals and three general hospitals. Based on the use of antidepressants as defined in this study, patients were classified into a medicated group (Ads, n=74) and a non-medicated group (nAds, n=36). Diagnosis of bipolar depression was confirmed using the MINI (Chinese version), and baseline and follow-up assessments were conducted using the Assessment of Mood Disorders Evaluation (ADE) and the Clinical Monitoring Form (CMF). Depression burden indicators, including aggregate depression scores (SUM-D), number of depressive symptoms (NUM-D), and total depression burden, were compared between the Ads group and nAds group at mid-term (the 6 th month) and endpoint (the 12 nd month). Longitudinal changes in these indicators were also analyzed. Results:The proportion of bipolar depressive patients on antidepressants was 67% (74/110). Among them, 85% (63/74) were taking antidepressants at baseline; this dropped to 76% (56/74) at mid-term, and 64% (47/74) at the endpoint. SUM-D were higher in the Ads group than in the nAds group at baseline (9 (6.5, 11) vs 7.38 (5.5, 9.0); W=1 712.00, P=0.015), and there was no statistically significant difference in NUM-D and total depressive burden between two groups at any time points ( P>0.05). Compared to baseline, the Ads group had significantly lower SUM-D (0.5 (0, 1), 1.33 (0.5, 2.5) vs. 9 (6.5, 11); W=2 770.00, 2 743.00), NUM-D (0 (0, 0), 0 (0, 1) vs. 7 (5, 8); W=2 621.00, 2 601.50) and total depressive burden (c 2=64.36, 59.00) at both mid-term and endpoint (all P<0.001); While SUM-D (0.59 (0.4, 0.7), 1 (0.8, 2.5) vs. 7.38 (5.5, 9.0); W=664.50, W=666.00), NUM-D (0 (0, 0), 0 (0, 1) vs. 6 (4, 7); W=527.00, 528.00) and total depression burden ( χ 2=31.00, 31.00) in the nAds group were also significantly decreased at both mid-term and endpoint (all P<0.001). There were no statistically significant differences in the changes in depression burden indicators between the two groups from baseline to mid-follow-up or endpoint, nor from mid-follow-up to endpoint ( P>0.05). Conclusion:In a 12-month real-world naturalistic follow-up study, both medicated and non-medicated bipolar depression groups experienced significant and similar reductions in depression burden.
