Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T16:04:27.890Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Does early-onset chronic or recurrent major depression impact outcomes with antidepressant medications? A CO-MED Trial Report

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 December 2012

S. C. Sung*
Affiliation:
Office of Clinical Sciences, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore, Singapore
S. R. Wisniewski
Affiliation:
Epidemiology Data Center, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
G. K. Balasubramani
Affiliation:
Epidemiology Data Center, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
S. Zisook
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
B. Kurian
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
D. Warden
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
M. H. Trivedi
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
A. J. Rush
Affiliation:
Office of Clinical Sciences, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore, Singapore
*
*Address for correspondence: S. C. Sung, Ph.D., Office of Clinical Sciences, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore, 8 College Road, Singapore169857. (Email: sharon.sung@duke-nus.edu.sg)

Abstract

Background

Prior studies have suggested that major depressive disorder (MDD) with pre-adult onset represents a distinct subtype with greater symptom severity and higher rates of suicidal ideation. Whether these patients have poorer response to various types of antidepressant treatment than those with adult-onset MDD is unclear.

Method

A total of 665 psychiatric and primary care out-patients (aged 18–75 years) with non-psychotic chronic or recurrent MDD participated in a single-blind, randomized trial that compared the efficacy of escitalopram plus placebo, bupropion sustained-release plus escitalopram, or venlafaxine extended-release plus mirtazapine. We compared participants who self-reported MDD onset (before age 18) to those with a later onset (adult onset) with respect to baseline characteristics and treatment/outcome variables at 12 and 28 weeks.

Results

Early-onset chronic/recurrent MDD was associated with a distinct set of sociodemographic (female, younger age) and clinical correlates (longer duration of illness, greater number of prior episodes, greater likelihood of atypical features, higher rates of suicidality and psychiatric co-morbidity, fewer medical problems, poorer quality of life, greater history of child abuse/neglect). However, results from unadjusted and adjusted analyses showed no significant differences in response, remission, tolerability of medications, quality of life, or retention at 12 or 28 weeks.

Conclusions

Although early-onset chronic/recurrent MDD is associated with a more severe clinical picture, it does not seem to be useful for predicting differential treatment response to antidepressant medication. Clinicians should remain alert to an increased risk of suicidality in this population.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alpert, JE, Fava, M, Uebelacker, LA, Nierenberg, AA, Pava, JA, Worthington, JJ 3rd, Rosenbaum, JF (1999). Patterns of axis I comorbidity in early-onset versus late-onset major depressive disorder. Biological Psychiatry 46, 202211.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Altman, EG, Hedeker, D, Peterson, JL, Davis, JM (1997). The Altman Self-Rating Mania Scale. Biological Psychiatry 42, 948955.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bernet, CZ, Stein, MB (1999). Relationship of childhood maltreatment to the onset and course of major depression in adulthood. Depression and Anxiety 9, 169174.3.0.CO;2-2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bernstein, IH, Rush, AJ, Carmody, TJ, Woo, A, Trivedi, MH (2007). Clinical v. self-report versions of the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology in a public sector sample. Journal of Psychiatric Research 41, 239246.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blanco, C, Vesga-López, O, Stewart, JW, Liu, SM, Grant, BF, Hasin, DS (2012). Epidemiology of major depression with atypical features: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 73, 224232.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Calear, AL, Christensen, H (2010). Systematic review of school-based prevention and early intervention programs for depression. Journal of Adolescence 33, 429438.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fava, M (2001). Augmentation and combination strategies in treatment-resistant depression. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 62 (Suppl. 18), 411.Google ScholarPubMed
Fava, M (2009). Augmentation and combination strategies for complicated depression. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 70, e40.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fava, M, Alpert, JE, Borus, JS, Nierenberg, AA, Pava, JA, Rosenbaum, JF (1996). Patterns of personality disorder comorbidity in early-onset versus late-onset major depression. American Journal of Psychiatry 153, 13081312.Google ScholarPubMed
Frisch, MB, Clark, MP, Rouse, SV, Rudd, MD, Paweleck, JK, Greenstone, A, Kopplin, DA (2005). Predictive and treatment validity of life satisfaction and the quality of life inventory. Assessment 12, 6678.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Guerry, JD, Hastings, PD (2011). In search of HPA axis dysregulation in child and adolescent depression. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review 14, 135160.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hamilton, M (1960). A rating scale for depression. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 23, 5662.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hammen, C, Brennan, PA, Keenan-Miller, D, Herr, NR (2008). Early onset recurrent subtype of adolescent depression: clinical and psychosocial correlates. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines 49, 433440.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harald, B, Gordon, P (2012). Meta-review of depressive subtyping models. Journal of Affective Disorders 139, 126140.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kaufman, J, Martin, A, King, RA, Charney, D (2001). Are child-, adolescent-, and adult-onset depression one and the same disorder? Biological Psychiatry 49, 9801001.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Keller, MB, Ryan, ND, Strober, M, Klein, RG, Kutcher, SP, Birmaher, B, Hagino, OR, Koplewicz, H, Carlson, GA, Clarke, GN, Emslie, GJ, Feinberg, D, Geller, B, Kusumakar, V, Papatheodorou, G, Sack, WH, Sweeney, M, Wagner, KD, Weller, EB, Winters, NC, Oakes, R, McCafferty, JP (2001). Efficacy of paroxetine in the treatment of adolescent major depression: a randomized, controlled trial. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 40, 762772.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kessler, RC, Aguilar-Gaxiola, S, Alonso, J, Chatterji, S, Lee, S, Ormel, J, Ustun, TB, Wang, PS (2009). The global burden of mental disorders: an update from the WHO World Mental Health (WMH) surveys. Epidemiologica Psichiatria Sociale 18, 2333.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kessler, RC, Amminger, GP, Aguilar-Gaxiola, S, Alonso, J, Lee, S, Ustun, TB (2007). Age of onset of mental disorders: a review of recent literature. Current Opinion in Psychiatry 20, 359364.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Klein, DN, Arnow, BA, Barkin, JL, Dowling, F, Kocsis, JH, Leon, AC, Manber, R, Rothbaum, BO, Trivedi, MH, Wisniewski, SR (2009). Early adversity in chronic depression: clinical correlates and response to pharmacotherapy. Depression and Anxiety 26, 701710.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Klein, DN, Schatzberg, AF, McCullough, JP, Dowling, F, Goodman, D, Howland, RH, Markowitz, JC, Smith, C, Thase, ME, Rush, AJ, LaVange, L, Harrison, WM, Keller, MB (1999). Age of onset in chronic major depression: relation to demographic and clinical variables, family history, and treatment response. Journal of Affective Disorders 55, 149157.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Leuchter, AF, Lesser, IM, Trivedi, MH, Rush, AJ, Morris, DW, Warden, D, Fava, M, Wisniewski, SR, Luther, JF, Perales, M, Gaynes, BN, Stewart, JW (2008). An open pilot study of the combination of escitalopram and bupropion-SR for outpatients with major depressive disorder. Journal of Psychiatric Practice 14, 271280.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Levine, J, Schooler, NR (1992). General versus specific inquiry with SAFTEE. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology 12, 448.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McGrath, PJ, Stewart, JW, Fava, M, Trivedi, MH, Wisniewski, SR, Nierenberg, AA, Thase, ME, Davis, L, Biggs, MM, Shores-Wilson, K, Luther, JF, Niederehe, G, Warden, D, Rush, AJ (2006). Tranylcypromine versus venlafaxine plus mirtazapine following three failed antidepressant medication trials for depression: a STAR*D report. American Journal of Psychiatry 163, 15311541; quiz 1666.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Miller, A (2007). Social neuroscience of child and adolescent depression. Brain and Cognition 65, 4768.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Miniati, M, Rucci, P, Benvenuti, A, Frank, E, Buttenfield, J, Giorgi, G, Cassano, GB (2010). Clinical characteristics and treatment outcome of depression in patients with and without a history of emotional and physical abuse. Journal of Psychiatric Research 44, 302309.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mundt, JC, Marks, IM, Shear, MK, Greist, JH (2002). The Work and Social Adjustment Scale: a simple measure of impairment in functioning. British Journal of Psychiatry 180, 461464.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Papakostas, GI (2009). Pharmacologic and therapeutic strategies in treatment-resistant depression. Switching antidepressants vs. conventional augmentation strategies. CNS Spectrums 14, 1114.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Parker, G, Roy, K, Hadzi-Pavlovic, D, Mitchell, P, Wilhelm, K (2003). Distinguishing early and late onset non-melancholic unipolar depression. Journal of Affective Disorders 74, 131138.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ramklint, M, Ekselius, L (2003). Personality traits and personality disorders in early onset versus late onset major depression. Journal of Affective Disorders 75, 3542.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rao, U, Chen, LA (2009). Characteristics, correlates, and outcomes of childhood and adolescent depressive disorders. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience 11, 4562.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rao, U, Weissman, MM, Martin, JA, Hammond, RW (1993). Childhood depression and risk of suicide: a preliminary report of a longitudinal study. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 32, 2127.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rush, AJ (2007). The varied clinical presentations of major depressive disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 68 (Suppl. 8), 410.Google ScholarPubMed
Rush, AJ, Carmody, TJ, Ibrahim, HM, Trivedi, MH, Biggs, MM, Shores-Wilson, K, Crismon, ML, Toprac, MG, Kashner, TM (2006). Comparison of self-report and clinician ratings on two inventories of depressive symptomatology. Psychiatric Services 57, 829837.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rush, AJ, Trivedi, MH, Ibrahim, HM, Carmody, TJ, Arnow, B, Klein, DN, Markowitz, JC, Ninan, PT, Kornstein, S, Manber, R, Thase, ME, Kocsis, JH, Keller, MB (2003). The 16-Item Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS), clinician rating (QIDS-C), and self-report (QIDS-SR): a psychometric evaluation in patients with chronic major depression. Biological Psychiatry 54, 573583.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rush, AJ, Trivedi, MH, Stewart, JW, Nierenberg, AA, Fava, M, Kurian, BT, Warden, D, Morris, DW, Luther, JF, Husain, MM, Cook, IA, Shelton, RC, Lesser, IM, Kornstein, SG, Wisniewski, SR (2011). Combining Medications to Enhance Depression Outcomes (CO-MED): acute and long-term outcomes of a single-blind randomized study. American Journal of Psychiatry 168, 689701.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sangha, O, Stucki, G, Liang, MH, Fossel, AH, Katz, JN (2003). The Self-Administered Comorbidity Questionnaire: a new method to assess comorbidity for clinical and health services research. Arthritis and Rheumatism 49, 156163.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Scott, MA, Wilcox, HC, Schonfeld, IS, Davies, M, Hicks, RC, Turner, JB, Shaffer, D (2009). School-based screening to identify at-risk students not already known to school professionals: the Columbia suicide screen. American Journal of Public Health 99, 334339.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sheehan, DV, Lecrubier, Y, Sheehan, KH, Amorim, P, Janavs, J, Weiller, E, Hergueta, T, Baker, R, Dunbar, GC (1998). The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.): the development and validation of a structured diagnostic psychiatric interview for DSM-IV and ICD-10. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 59 (Suppl. 20), 2233; quiz 3457.Google ScholarPubMed
Stewart, JW, McGrath, PJ, Fava, M, Wisniewski, SR, Zisook, S, Cook, I, Nierenberg, AA, Trivedi, MH, Balasubramani, GK, Warden, D, Lesser, I, Rush, A (2010). Do atypical features affect outcome in depressed outpatients treated with citalopram? International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology 13, 1530.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Taurines, R, Gerlach, M, Warnke, A, Thome, J, Wewetzer, C (2011). Pharmacotherapy in depressed children and adolescents. World Journal of Biological Psychiatry 12 (Suppl. 1), 1115.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thompson, AH (2008). Younger onset of depression is associated with greater suicidal intent. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 43, 538544.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Trivedi, MH, Daly, EJ (2007). Measurement-based care for refractory depression: a clinical decision support model for clinical research and practice. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 88 (Suppl. 2), S61S71.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Trivedi, MH, Morris, DW, Pan, JY, Grannemann, BD, John Rush, A (2005). What moderator characteristics are associated with better prognosis for depression? Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 1, 5157.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Trivedi, MH, Rush, AJ, Gaynes, BN, Stewart, JW, Wisniewski, SR, Warden, D, Ritz, L, Luther, JF, Stegman, D, Deveaugh-Geiss, J, Howland, R (2007). Maximizing the adequacy of medication treatment in controlled trials and clinical practice: STAR(*)D measurement-based care. Neuropsychopharmacology 32, 24792489.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Trivedi, MH, Rush, AJ, Ibrahim, HM, Carmody, TJ, Biggs, MM, Suppes, T, Crismon, ML, Shores-Wilson, K, Toprac, MG, Dennehy, EB, Witte, B, Kashner, TM (2004). The Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology, Clinician Rating (IDS-C) and Self-Report (IDS-SR), and the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology, Clinician Rating (QIDS-C) and Self-Report (QIDS-SR) in public sector patients with mood disorders: a psychometric evaluation. Psychological Medicine 34, 7382.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Trivedi, MH, Rush, AJ, Wisniewski, SR, Nierenberg, AA, Warden, D, Ritz, L, Norquist, G, Howland, RH, Lebowitz, B, McGrath, PJ, Shores-Wilson, K, Biggs, MM, Balasubramani, GK, Fava, M (2006). Evaluation of outcomes with citalopram for depression using measurement-based care in STAR*D: implications for clinical practice. American Journal of Psychiatry 163, 2840.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Trivedi, MH, Wisniewski, SR, Morris, DW, Fava, M, Gollan, JK, Warden, D, Nierenberg, AA, Gaynes, BN, Husain, MM, Luther, JF, Zisook, S, Rush, AJ (2011). Concise Health Risk Tracking scale: a brief self-report and clinician rating of suicidal risk. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 72, 757764.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
van Noorden, MS, Minkenberg, SE, Giltay, EJ, den Hollander-Gijsman, ME, van Rood, YR, van der Wee, NJ, Zitman, FG (2011). Pre-adult versus adult onset major depressive disorder in a naturalistic patient sample: the Leiden Routine Outcome Monitoring Study. Psychological Medicine 41, 14071417.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
WHO (2008). The Global Burden of Disease: 2004 Update. World Health Organization: Geneva, Switzerland.Google Scholar
Wisniewski, SR, Eng, H, Meloro, L, Gatt, R, Ritz, L, Stegman, D, Trivedi, M, Biggs, MM, Friedman, E, Shores-Wilson, K, Warden, D, Bartolowits, D, Martin, JP, Rush, AJ (2004). Web-based communications and management of a multi-center clinical trial: the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) project. Clinical Trials 1, 387398.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wisniewski, SR, Rush, AJ, Balasubramani, GK, Trivedi, MH, Nierenberg, AA (2006). Self-rated global measure of the frequency, intensity, and burden of side effects. Journal of Psychiatric Practice 12, 7179.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zimmerman, M, Mattia, JI (2001 a). The Psychiatric Diagnostic Screening Questionnaire: development, reliability and validity. Comprehensive Psychiatry 42, 175189.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zimmerman, M, Mattia, JI (2001 b). A self-report scale to help make psychiatric diagnoses: the Psychiatric Diagnostic Screening Questionnaire. Archives of General Psychiatry 58, 787794.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zisook, S, Lesser, I, Stewart, JW, Wisniewski, SR, Balasubramani, GK, Fava, M, Gilmer, WS, Dresselhaus, TR, Thase, ME, Nierenberg, AA, Trivedi, MH, Rush, AJ (2007 a). Effect of age at onset on the course of major depressive disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry 164, 15391546.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zisook, S, Rush, AJ, Albala, A, Alpert, J, Balasubramani, GK, Fava, M, Husain, M, Sackeim, H, Trivedi, M, Wisniewski, S (2004). Factors that differentiate early vs. later onset of major depression disorder. Psychiatry Research 129, 127140.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zisook, S, Rush, AJ, Lesser, I, Wisniewski, SR, Trivedi, M, Husain, MM, Balasubramani, GK, Alpert, JE, Fava, M (2007 b). Preadult onset vs. adult onset of major depressive disorder: a replication study. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 115, 196205.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Supplementary material: File

Sung Supplementary Material

Appendix

Download Sung Supplementary Material(File)
File 157.5 KB