Duration of untreated illness and antidepressant fluvoxamine response in major depressive disorder.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to analyze the relation between treatment response and the duration of untreated illness (DUI) in 133 outpatients with the first major depressive disorder (MDD) episode.


METHODS
A logistic regression was performed with DUI, sex, age at onset, and score for 17 items on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale at the time of start of fluvoxamine treatment as the explanatory variables, and the response and the remission as the outcome variables.


RESULTS
Regression analysis showed significant association between the response and DUI (P < 0.0001), and between the remission and DUI (P < 0.0001), respectively. The remission rate gradually decreased with longer DUI.


CONCLUSIONS
Early treatment of first depressive episodes is important because a shorter DUI implied better remission outcomes.
Okuda
Akiko
A
Department of Psychiatry, Okehazama Hospital Fujita Mental Care Center, Aichi, Japan. akkon-o@fujita-hu.ac.jp
Suzuki
Tatsuyo
T
Kishi
Taro
T
Yamanouchi
Yoshio
Y
Umeda
Kazunori
K
Haitoh
Hiroshi
H
Hashimoto
Shuji
S
Ozaki
Norio
N
Iwata
Nakao
N
D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D016666:Fluvoxamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D016666:Fluvoxamine