title: Early Improvement in Psychosocial Function Predicts Longer-Term Symptomatic Remission in Depressed Patients.
abstract: The goal of this study was to evaluate the relationship between early change in psychosocial function independent of depression severity and longer-term symptomatic remission. Participants of Combining Medications to Enhance Depression Outcomes trial were randomly selected for model selection (n = 334) and validation (n = 331). Changes in psychosocial function (Work and Social Adjustment Scale, WSAS) from baseline to week 6 were assessed and two data-driven sub-groups of WSAS change were identified in the randomly selected model selection half. Results of analyses to predict symptomatic remission at 3 and 7 months were validated for these sub-groups in the second half (validation sample). From baseline to week 6, psychosocial function improved significantly even after adjusting for depression severity at each visit and select baseline variables (age, gender, race, ethnicity, education, income, employment, depression onset before age 18, anxious features, and suicidal ideation), treatment-arm, and WSAS score. The WSAS change patterns identified two (early improvement and gradual change) subgroups. After adjusting for baseline variables and remission status at week 6, participants with early improvement in the second half (validation sample) had greater remission rates than those with gradual change at both 3 (3.3 times) and 7 months (2.3 times) following acute treatment initiation. In conclusion, early improvement in psychosocial function provides a clinically meaningful prediction of longer-term symptomatic remission, independent of depression symptom severity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Manish K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Jha
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Abu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Minhajuddin
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Tracy L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Greer
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Carmody
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke-National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Augustus John
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Rush
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Madhukar H
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2983-1110
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Trivedi
mesh_terms: D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000187:drug effects*; D012008:Recurrence; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents