title: Prescribing patterns of psychotropic medications and clinical features in patients with major depressive disorder with and without comorbid dysthymia in China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little has been reported about the demographic and clinical features of major depressive disorder (MDD) with comorbid dysthymia in Chinese patients. This study examined the frequency of comorbid dysthymia in Chinese MDD patients together with the demographic and clinical correlates and prescribing patterns of psychotropic drugs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutively collected sample of 1178 patients with MDD were examined in 13 major psychiatric hospitals in China. Patients' demographic and clinical characteristics and psychotropic drugs prescriptions were recorded using a standardized protocol and data collection procedure. The diagnosis of dysthymia was established using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Medications ascertained included antidepressants, antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, and mood stabilizers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and three (8.7%) patients fulfilled criteria for dysthymia. In multiple logistic regression analyses, compared to non-dysthymia counterparts, MDD patients with dysthymia had more depressive episodes with atypical features including increased appetite, sleep, and weight gain, more frequent lifetime depressive episodes, and less likelihood of family history of psychiatric disorders. There was no significant difference in the pattern of psychotropic prescription between the 2 groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There are important differences in the demographic and clinical features of comorbid dysthymia in Chinese MDD patients compared with previous reports. The clinical profile found in this study has implications for treatment decisions.
authors.affiliation: Mood Disorders Center, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.|China Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing, China.|Center of Depression, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Mood Disorders Center, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.|China Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing, China.|Center of Depression, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Sha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sha
authors.affiliation: Mood Disorders Center, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.|China Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing, China.|Center of Depression, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Mood Disorders Center, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.|China Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing, China.|Center of Depression, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: The University of Notre Dame Australia / Marian Centre, Perth, Australia.|School of Psychiatry & Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
authors.forename: Gabor S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Ungvari
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China.
authors.forename: Helen F K
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Chee H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Mental Health & Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Tian-Mei
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Si
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Da-Fang
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Division of Mood Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yi-Ru
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Tongji Hospital, Tongji University Medical School, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Division of Mood Disorders, Shenzhen Mental Health Centre, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Hai-Chen
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: The First Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Yu
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: The Affiliated Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Ping
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: The Second Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Hui-Chun
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Jin-Bei
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Tao
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Xiang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002681:China; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019263:Dysthymic Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents
keywords: China; dysthymia; major depressive disorder