Quality of life outcomes among patients with depression after 6 months of starting treatment: results from FINDER.
BACKGROUND
Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) data in depression are limited. We studied the impact of antidepressant (AD) treatment on HRQoL outcomes in depressed patients and investigated factors associated with these outcomes in routine practice settings.


METHODS
The Factors Influencing Depression Endpoints Research (FINDER) study was a 6-month, European, prospective, observational study, designed to estimate HRQoL in 3468 adult patients with a clinically diagnosed episode of depression at baseline and at 3 and 6-months after commencing AD treatment. HRQoL was assessed by the Medical Outcome Short-Form (36) Health Survey (SF-36) and European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D). Regression analysis identified baseline and treatment variables independently and significantly associated with HRQoL outcomes.


RESULTS
Most HRQoL improvement occurred within 3 months of starting treatment. Better HRQoL outcomes were strongly associated with fewer somatic symptoms at baseline, AD treatment taken and not switching within AD groups. Education and occupational status were also important. Depression variables (number of previous depressions and current episode duration) were consistently associated with worse HRQoL outcomes. Self-rated depression severity was associated with poorer outcomes on the SF-36 mental component only.


CONCLUSIONS
As this was an observational study, the important finding that between and within AD group switching impacted HRQoL will need to be investigated in more controlled settings.


CONCLUSIONS
Receiving an AD treatment was associated with large improvements in HRQoL, but switching within AD groups was consistently associated with poorer outcomes. Somatic symptoms, including painful symptoms, are often present in depressed patients and appear to negatively impact HRQoL outcomes.
Reed
Catherine
C
Eli Lilly & Company Ltd., Erl Wood Manor, Windlesham, Surrey, UK. reed_catherine@lilly.com
Monz
Brigitta U
BU
Perahia
David G S
DG
Gandhi
Paul
P
Bauer
Michael
M
Dantchev
Nicolas
N
Demyttenaere
Koen
K
Garcia-Cebrian
Ana
A
Grassi
Luigi
L
Quail
Deborah
D
Tylee
Andre
A
Montejo
Angel L
AL
D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
D000928:Antidepressive Agents