The effect of concomitant disorders in childhood depression on predicting treatment response.
Children with pure depression or depression plus an anxiety-related disorder (n = 14) had a higher drug response rate (57%) and a lower placebo response rate (20%) when compared to children with depression plus a concomitant conduct or oppositional disorder (n = 17) (33% drug response rate and 67% placebo response rate). These findings could explain why studies of prepubertal-onset depression found no differences between drug and placebo treatment assuming that a large percentage of the studies' subjects had concomitant conduct or oppositional disorders. The children with pure depression or depression plus an anxiety-related disorder had different symptom clusters from those with depression plus a concomitant conduct or oppositional disorder. The former had more severe CDRS ratings on sleep, appetite disturbance, depressed feelings, and psychomotor retardation. In contrast, those with a concomitant conduct or oppositional disorder had shorter attention spans and were more likely to disturb other children (based on Conners scale scores).
Hughes
C W
CW
Psychiatric Research Institute, St. Francis Regional Medical Center, Wichita, KS.
Preskorn
S H
SH
Weller
E
E
Weller
R
R
Hassanein
R
R
Tucker
S
S
D002648:Child; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales