title: Isotretinoin was not associated with depression or anxiety: A twelve-week study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the frequency and severity of depression and/or anxiety in isotretinoin (ITT)-treated subjects and in a non-ITT control group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty consecutively-admitted non-psychiatric outpatients with acne were assigned to either ITT at a fixed dose of 30 mg/d (n = 36) or "other treatment" group (OT; n = 24). The Zung depression or anxiety scales (with cut-off points), two locally developed scales for depression (GeDepr) and anxiety (Ansilet) (without cut-off points) and clinical global impression scales of acne severity were administered at baseline and at weeks 6 and 12 of treatment. Data was analyzed with the chi-squared test and covariance analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Gender distribution, age, marital status and education level did not differ between both treatment groups. The frequency of depression, as defined by the Zung scale cut-off points was similar in the ITT and in the non-ITT groups: Weeks 6 and 12: 8.3% in both groups, P = 0.9. The frequency of anxiety was similar in the groups as well: Week 6: ITT = 8.3%; OT = 0.0%, P > 0.05; week 12: ITT = 11.1%, OT = 4.2%, P > 0.05. The scores in both scales' sets did not differ between the treatment groups at any evaluation time point (P > 0.05). Five ITT-treated subjects (13.8%) and two from the OT-treated group (8.3%) developed clinically significant anxiety and/or depression during treatment (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study confirms the safety of ITT regarding psychological side effects in regular dermatological patients. Susceptible subjects may exist but their identification requires additional strategies.
authors.affiliation: Bella Suarez, Ana Serrano, Department of Psychiatry, Los Andes University Medical School, Mérida 5101, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Bella
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Suarez
authors.affiliation: Bella Suarez, Ana Serrano, Department of Psychiatry, Los Andes University Medical School, Mérida 5101, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Serrano
authors.affiliation: Bella Suarez, Ana Serrano, Department of Psychiatry, Los Andes University Medical School, Mérida 5101, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cova
authors.affiliation: Bella Suarez, Ana Serrano, Department of Psychiatry, Los Andes University Medical School, Mérida 5101, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Trino
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Baptista
keywords: Anxiety; Depression; Isotretinoin; Other treatments; Psychopathology; Short-term