Study results appear to reveal the protective effects of antidepressants on psoriasis risk in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), according to a paper published in the Journal of Affective Disorders. With prior research suggesting that inflammation may mediate the relationship between MDD and psoriasis but it remaining unclear whether antidepressants can decrease the subsequent risk of psoriasis among patients with MDD, investigators assessed this potential relationship among patients with MDD who were grouped into those who had, or had not, received antidepressants. Participants were tracked for a diagnosis of psoriasis over 5 years. Upon time-dependent Cox regression with both inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) and adjustment for confounders, the study team found that antidepressant users had a significantly lower risk of psoriasis than nonusers (IPTW-adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.69), with most types and dosages of antidepressants tending to protect against psoriasis. Even following IPTW and adjustment for confounders, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor use (IPTW-aHR, 0.67) and low-dose antidepressant use (IPTW-aHR, 0.66) had significant protective effects.
