The following is a summary of “Treatment-Resistant Depression in America Latina study: one-year follow-up of treatment-resistant depression patients under standard of care reveals insights on quality of life, disability, work impairment, and depressive symptoms,” published in the October 2023 issue of Psychiatry by Recco et al. 

Depression is on the rise worldwide, including in Latin America (LatAm). Treatment-Resistant Depressive Disorder (TRD) is a significant burden, impairing quality of life (QoL) and other outcomes. The standard of care is often inadequate, and evidence from LatAm is limited. Researchers performed a retrospective study to assess the burden of TRD in LatAm through a 1-year follow-up of patients receiving standard care. 

The study enrolled patients clinically diagnosed with TRD in a one-year follow-up study receiving standard-of-care (SOC) treatment. The study assessed various outcome measures over the course of the year, including QoL (EQ-5D-5L), disability (Sheehan Disability Scale – SDS), work productivity (Work Productivity and Activity Incapacity Questionnaire: depression – WPAI:D), and depression severity (Patient Health Questionnaire-PHQ9). Patients underwent assessments every 3 months, and comparisons were made based on changes from baseline at each visit and the end of the 12-month study period (EOS). 

Patients had an average age of 48 (± 13.12) years, with a predominantly female (80.9%) and either married/consensual union (42.5%) or single (34.4%) status. Despite receiving SOC treatment, three-quarters of the patients remained symptomatic at the EOS, with a significant longitudinal decrease (P ≤ 0.001). Similar patterns were observed for disability (P≤ 0.001), with -82.2% of patients experiencing work/school disruption at EOS. Work and activity impairment percentages at EOS were 34% and (40%), respectively, showing a significant decrease (P≤ 0.001). Only (29.2%) of patients had “none” in terms of depressive severity at EOS (P ≤ 0.001). These results underscore the need to enhance clinical outcomes for this challenging and burdensome disease in LatAm. 

The study reported that despite improvements, TRD remains a significant burden in real-world settings, highlighting the need for better treatments. 

Source: frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1221746/full