title: Gender differences in routine treatment of depressed outpatients with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor sertraline.
abstract: Gender is known to have an influence on medical treatment and the prescribing and outcome of drug treatment. This has also been suggested for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). To examine sex differences in the treatment with the SSRI sertraline in routine treatment of depression, data from a 6-month prospective drug utilization observation study on 3,858 women and 1,594 men were analysed for gender differences. Compared to men, women were more often treated by a general practitioner, were somewhat older, had a later onset of illness, were more likely to suffer from a recurrent rather than a first episode of depression, had been treated for depression before, and showed more anxious and less neurasthenic or retarded syndromes. There was no difference regarding duration of the present episode or severity of illness. The mean prescribed dose of sertraline was marginally lower for females compared to males (45.5 versus 46.5 mg/day) with no difference in the rate of psychoactive concomitant medication (6.76% versus 6.80%). There was no difference in side-effects, treatment termination or treatment response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Sciences, University of Applied Sciences, Bielefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thiels
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Linden
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Grieger
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leonard
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017723:Drug Utilization Review; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020280:Sertraline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D020280:Sertraline