Treatment Of Depression In People Research Articles

A randomised controlled feasibility trial of Behavioural activation as a treatment for people with diabetes and depression: (DiaDeM feasibility trial).

There is a lack of evidence on effective treatments for depression in people with T2DM, particularly in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). This study aims to test the feasibility and acceptability of a culturally adapted Behavioural Activation (BA) intervention (DiaDeM) for people with depression and T2DM in two South Asian LMICs. A multicountry, individually randomised-controlled feasibility trial was conducted from March 2022 to November 2022. We recruited adults from diabetes healthcare facilities in Bangladesh and Pakistan with a diagnosis of depression and T2DM. Consenting individuals were randomised to either optimised usual care or the DiaDeM intervention, which comprised six BA sessions delivered by non-mental health facilitators over six to twelve weeks. Participants were followed up at three and six months post-randomisation. The feasibility and acceptability of recruitment and retention, intervention delivery, and data collection were assessed. A mixed-methods process evaluation was also performed to inform the main trial. The DiaDeM feasibility trial successfully recruited 128 participants, with 85 % retention at six months follow-up. The majority of participants engaged with the intervention, demonstrating good adherence to the Behavioural Activation (BA) sessions. Data completeness for key outcomes, including depression severity and HbA1c levels, was high across all time points (>90 %). The process evaluation showed high acceptability of the intervention, with participants reporting increased motivation and improved management of both T2DM and depression. Good recruitment and retention rates, completeness of data collection, and high acceptability of the intervention showed that it would be feasible to undertake a full-scale trial.

Online compassion-based self-help for depression in people with skin conditions: a feasibility study.

There is a need to develop psychological interventions for depression in people with skin conditions. This study aimed to investigate the acceptability, feasibility, and effects of an online compassion-based self-help intervention for depression in people with skin conditions. Adult participants (n = 34) with skin conditions and mild-moderate depressive symptoms were invited to undertake a six-week, compassion-based online intervention for depression with email support. Engagement with the intervention was monitored, along with time spent facilitating the intervention, and participant feedback was collected each week and post-intervention. Pre-post changes in depression, self-compassion and dermatological quality of life were also assessed. The intervention was started by 25 participants and completed by 13. Feedback scores indicated that the website was evaluated positively and that the sessions had positive impacts on participants. Participants appreciated the skin-specific aspects of the intervention but varied as to which of the compassion-based exercises they found helpful. The online intervention was feasible to provide and facilitate, and treatment completers showed improvements in depression, quality of life and self-compassion. The online compassion-based intervention holds promise as a treatment for depression in people with skin conditions. Recommendations are made for future research and further development of the intervention. This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov on 21 October 2019, NCT04132973.

Antidepressant treatment and mortality in people with comorbid depression and type 2 diabetes: UK electronic health record study.

Depression is associated with higher rates of premature mortality in people with physical comorbidities, such as type 2 diabetes. Conceptually, the successful treatment of depression in people with type 2 diabetes could prevent premature mortality. To investigate the association between antidepressant prescribing and the rates of all-cause and cause-specific (endocrine, cardiovascular, respiratory, cancer, unnatural) mortality in individuals with comorbid depression and type 2 diabetes. Using UK primary care records between years 2000 and 2018, we completed a nested case-control study in a cohort of people with comorbid depression and type 2 diabetes who were starting oral antidiabetic treatment for the first time. We used incident density sampling to identify cases who died and matched controls who remained alive after the same number of days observation. We estimated incidence rate ratios for the association between antidepressant prescribing and mortality, adjusting for demographic characteristics, comorbidities, medication use and health behaviours. We included 5222 cases with a recorded date of death, and 18 675 controls, observed for a median of 7 years. Increased rates of all-cause mortality were associated with any antidepressant prescribing during the observation period (incidence rate ratio 2.77, 95% CI 2.48-3.10). These results were consistent across all causes of mortality that we investigated. Antidepressant prescribing was highly associated with higher rates of mortality. However, we suspect that this is not a direct causal effect, but that antidepressant treatment is a marker of more severe and unsuccessfully treated depression.

Antidepressants for the treatment of depression in people with cancer

Antidepressants for the treatment of depression in people with cancer

Behavioral Activation for Comorbid Depression in People With Noncommunicable Disease in India: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial.

The increasing burden of depression and noncommunicable disease (NCD) is a global challenge, especially in low- and middle-income countries, considering the resource constraints and lack of trained human resources in these settings. Effective treatment of depression in people with NCDs has the potential to enhance both the mental and physical well-being of this population. It will also result in the effective use of the available health care resources. Brief psychological therapies, such as behavioral activation (BA), are effective for the treatment of depression. BA has not been adapted in the community health care services of India, and the feasibility of using BA as an intervention for depression in NCD and its effectiveness in these settings have not been systematically evaluated. Our objective is to adapt BA for the Indian NCD context and test the acceptability, feasibility, and implementation of the adapted BA intervention (BEACON intervention package [BIP]). Additionally, we aim to test the feasibility of a randomized controlled trial evaluation of BIP for the treatment of depression compared with enhanced usual care. Following well-established frameworks for intervention adaptation, we first adapted BA (to fit the linguistic, cultural, and resource context) for delivery in India. The intervention was also adapted for potential remote delivery by telephone. In a randomized controlled trial, we will be testing the acceptability, feasibility, and implementation of the adapted BA intervention (BIP). We shall also test if a randomized controlled feasibility trial can be delivered effectively and estimate important parameters (eg, recruitment and retention rates and completeness of follow-up) needed to design a future definitive trial. Following the receipt of approval from all the relevant agencies, the development of the BIP was started on November 28, 2020, and completed on August 18, 2021, and the quantitative data collection was started on August 23, 2021, and completed on December 10, 2021. Process evaluation (qualitative data) collection is ongoing. Both the qualitative and quantitative data analyses are ongoing. This study may offer insights that could help in closing the gap in the treatment of common mental illness, particularly in nations with limited resources, infrastructure, and systems such as India. To close this gap, BEACON tries to provide BA for depression in NCDs through qualified NCD (BA) counselors integrated within the state-run NCD clinics. The results of this study may aid in understanding whether BA as an intervention is acceptable for the population and how feasible it will be to deliver such interventions for depression in NCD in South Asian countries such as India. The BIP may also be used in the future by Indian community clinics as a brief intervention program. Clinical Trials Registry of India CTRI/2020/05/025048; https://tinyurl.com/mpt33jv5. DERR1-10.2196/41127.

Effectiveness and implementation of psychological interventions for depression in people with non-communicable diseases in South Asia: Systematic review and meta-analysis

We evaluate the effectiveness of psychological interventions for depression in people with NCDs in South Asia and explore the individual, organizational, and policy-level barriers and facilitators for the implementation and scaling up of these interventions. Eight databases (and local web pages) were searched in May 2022. We conducted random effects models to evaluate the pooled effect of psychological interventions on depression in people with NCDs. We extracted the individual, organizational, and policy level barriers and facilitators. We found five randomized control trials, nine qualitative studies, and 35 policy documents that fitted the inclusion criteria. The pooled standardized mean difference in depression comparing psychological interventions with usual care was −2.31 (95% CI, −4.16 to −0.45; p = .015, I 2 = 96.0%). We found barriers and facilitators to intervention delivery, mental health appears in the policy agenda in Bangladesh and Pakistan. However, there is a lack of policies relating to training in mental health for NCD health providers and a lack of integration of mental health care with NCD care. All of the psychological interventions reported to be effective in treating depression in this population. There are important delivery and policy barriers to the implementation and scaling up of psychological interventions for people with NCDs.

Antidepressants for the treatment of depression in people with cancer.

Antidepressants for the treatment of depression in people with cancer.

Health status and quality of life in comorbid physical multimorbidity and depression among adults aged ⩾50 years from low- and middle-income countries.

Data on the clinical and functional significance of comorbid depression in physical multimorbidity in middle-aged and older adults and from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are lacking. This study aims to determine the association of comorbid depression in physical multimorbidity with health outcomes and quality of life among adults aged ⩾50 years from six LMICs. Cross-sectional, nationally representative data from the Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health were analyzed. DSM-IV Depression was based on past 12-month symptoms. Eleven chronic physical conditions were assessed. Health status was based on scales ranging from 0 (best) to 100 (worse). The quality of life (8-item WHO Quality of Life) scale ranged from 0 (worse) to 100 (best). Multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted. Data on 34,129 individuals aged ⩾50 years [mean (SD) age 62.4 (16.0) years; 52.1% females] were analyzed. Among people with physical multimorbidity, having comorbid depression was associated with significantly worse health status in terms of sleep/energy (β = 14.71: 95% CI [12.23, 17.20]), self-care (13.23: [8.66, 17.82]), pain/discomfort (13.03: [9.59, 16.47]), mobility (11.06: [6.91, 15.21]), cognition (10.41: [7.31, 13.50]), perceived stress (8.35: [4.71, 11.99]), interpersonal activities (7.81: [3.71, 11.91]), and lower quality of life (-8.81: [-10.74, -6.88]). Comorbid depression in physical multimorbidity was associated with lower quality of life and poorer scores in multiple domains of health status. Treatment of depression in people with physical multimorbidity may potentially lead to better clinical outcomes, but future studies are needed to determine the most effective intervention to address this comorbidity in LMICs.

Does pharmacological treatment of depression in people with a primary brain tumour bring any benefits? A Cochrane Review summary with commentary.

Persons with primary brain tumour can suffer from depression. Depression may hinder rehabilitation intervention leading to further deterioration of patient's health and functioning. The Cochrane Review aimed to assess the effectiveness and adverse effects of pharmacological treatment of depression in people with a primary brain tumour. A Cochrane Review by Beevers et al. was summarized with comments. The review did not find any eligible studies from the 2090 studies screened which included randomized controlled trials, cohort studies and case-control studies. There is no high-quality evidence as to whether pharmacological treatments for depression in people with primary brain tumours are either effective or harmful.

Comparing the effectiveness, safety and tolerability of interventions for depressive symptoms in people with multiple sclerosis: a systematic review and network meta-analysis protocol

BackgroundComorbid depression is prevalent in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Depression is commonly untreated or undertreated, thus, there is a need for effective and safe interventions and current guidelines recommend...

Assessment and treatment of depression in people with multiple sclerosis: A qualitative analysis of specialist clinicians’ experiences

BackgroundDepression is common in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), with lifetime prevalence estimates between 25 and 50%. Depression is commonly underdiagnosed and undertreated in people with MS. This qualitative study assessed current practices, as well as facilitators and required resources to improve detection and management of depression in people with MS. MethodsMS clinicians living in Australia were recruited through MS healthcare provider clinics and networks for online interviews. Interviews were transcribed and coded in NVivo for framework analysis. ResultsParticipants included 15 MS specialists: nine nurses and six neurologists. Participants appreciated that depression was a common symptom of MS, and that untreated depression impacted patients’ wellbeing, medication adherence, capacity for self-care, employment, and interpersonal relationships. Participants did not routinely screen for depression and noted that they lack the time and skills to manage depression once identified, most often recommending patients see their general practitioner. Clinicians recognised that people with MS commonly experience barriers to identifying and managing depressive symptoms, however few clinics provide information or discussion about depression as a symptom of MS with patients. ConclusionParticipants indicated a need for evidence-based guidance, more education and training to improve practices including screening for depression, and an urgent need for local referral pathways to affordable and accessible mental health services for people with MS. Findings suggest a need for better collaborative management of depression and improvement of systematic practices related to depression information, screening and treatment support.

Improving the detection and treatment of depression in Australians with multiple sclerosis: A qualitative analysis

BackgroundDepression is common in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), yet often goes undetected, untreated or undertreated. ObjectiveThis qualitative research explored current practices, barriers and facilitators for detection and treatment of depression in Australians with MS. MethodsParticipants were 26 people with MS recruited through social media. Participants completed the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression-Revised (CESD-R) scale and in-depth telephone or video interviews. Interviews were analysed using framework analysis. ResultsScores measured on the CESD-R proposed 73% of participants were experiencing severe depression symptoms. Participants reported that depression is not regularly and formally assessed through MS healthcare services and they are offered limited information about depression in MS. Barriers to mental health support included recognition of depression, resistance to treatment and limitations of collaborative support between general practitioners and MS healthcare services. Participants expressed a need for open conversations and information about depression during neurology consultations. ConclusionBased on our findings, improved detection and treatment of depression in people with MS requires: 1) better provision of information about depression for people with MS through healthcare services and community organisations; 2) regular screening and assessment; 3) better healthcare services collaboration to improve management.

Pharmacological and psychological interventions for depression in people with tuberculosis

Pharmacological and psychological interventions for depression in people with tuberculosis

Relationship Between Interpersonal Depressive Symptoms and Reduced Amygdala Volume in People with Multiple Sclerosis: Considerations for Clinical Practice.

The lifetime prevalence of depression in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) is approximately 50% compared with around 15% in the general population. There is a relationship between depression and quality of life in people with MS and evidence that depression may contribute to disease progression. This cross-sectional pilot study assessed the association between depression and regional brain atrophy, including amygdala and hippocampal volume. Forty-nine participants with MS recruited through a hospital MS clinic were administered the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale Revised (CESD-R) to investigate whether higher endorsements on the items depressive affect and interpersonal symptoms were associated with volumetric magnetic resonance imaging measurements of hippocampal and amygdala atrophy. Regression analysis revealed an association between depression-related interpersonal symptoms and right amygdala volume. No association was found between depression and hippocampal volume. These results provide preliminary support for a unilateral, biologically based relationship between the right amygdala and characteristic interpersonal depressive symptoms expressed by people with MS and add to the growing body of literature implicating regional brain atrophy in MS-associated depression. Given that the interpersonal subcomponent of the CESD-R measures social functioning, and the neural networks in the amygdala are known to be implicated in processing social stimuli, this research suggests that targeted diagnosis and treatments for depression in people with MS may be particularly beneficial. Further confirmatory research of this relationship is required.

Predictors of receiving a diagnosis, referral and treatment of depression in people on antiretroviral therapy in South African primary care: a secondary analysis of data from a randomised trial.

ObjectiveTo describe the receipt of a diagnosis, referral and treatment for depression in people receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART), with depressive symptoms and attending primary care clinics in South Africa, and investigate factors associated with receiving these components of care.MethodsThis is a secondary analysis of data from a randomised controlled trial of an intervention intended to improve detection and treatment of depression in primary care patients receiving ART. In this analysis, we combined cross‐sectional and longitudinal data from the intervention and control arms. Using regression models and adjusting for intra‐cluster correlation of outcomes, we investigated associations between socioeconomic characteristics, depressive symptoms, stress, disability and stigma, and receipt of a diagnosis, referral and treatment for depression.ResultsOf 2002 participants enrolled, 18% reported a previous diagnosis of depression by a healthcare worker and 10% reported having received counselling from a specialist mental health worker. Diagnosis, referral and counselling during the follow‐up period were appropriately targeted, being independently more frequent in participants with higher enrolment scores for depressive symptoms, stress or disability. Participants with higher stigma scores at enrolment were independently less likely to receive counselling. Severe socio‐economic deprivation was common but was not associated with treatment.ConclusionWhile the receipt of a diagnosis, referral and treatment for depression were uncommon, they seemed to be appropriately targeted. Socio‐economic deprivation was not associated with treatment.

Positive memory training for the treatment of depression in schizophrenia: A randomised controlled trial

BackgroundAround half of people diagnosed with schizophrenia suffer from co-morbid depression, yet there are no evidence-based psychological treatments to target this presentation. MethodParticipants were aged 18–65 years old, had a clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and at least a mild level of depression. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive PoMeT or treatment as usual. PoMeT was delivered in up to 12 individual sessions within 3 months. We stratified randomisation by site and by severity of depression using randomised-permuted blocks. Assessments were carried out at baseline, 3-month, 6-month and 9-month by assessors who were blind to treatment allocation. The primary outcome was reduction in the symptoms of depression at 3-month, 6-month and 9-month as measured by the BDI-II. Analysis was by intention-to-treat with linear mixed-effects models. The trial was registered with the ISRCTN registry number 99485756. ResultsOne hundred participants were randomly assigned to either PoMeT (n = 49) or treatment as usual (n = 51). The reduction in BDI-II total score at 3 months was significantly greater for PoMeT than for treatment as usual (mean difference = 4.33, SE = 2.00, 95% CI 0.38 to 8.23; p = 0.03). DiscussionTo our knowledge this is, to date, the largest powered randomised controlled trial focused on the psychological treatment of depression in people diagnosed with schizophrenia. Results indicate that a brief targeted intervention can reduce the symptoms of depression in the group. The main limitation of the study is the lack of an active control group which may contribute to an inflated treatment effect.

Pharmacological treatment of depression in people with a primary brain tumour.

This is the second updated version of the Cochrane Review published in Issue 3, 2010 and first updated in Issue 5, 2013. People with a primary brain tumour often experience depression, for which drug treatment may be prescribed. However, they are also at high risk of epileptic seizures, cognitive impairment, and fatigue, all of which are potential adverse side effects of antidepressants. The benefit, or harm, of pharmacological treatment of depression in people with a primary brain tumour is unclear. To assess the benefits and harms of pharmacological treatment of depression in people with a primary brain tumour. We updated the search to include CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO to September 2019. As in the original review, we also handsearched Neuro-Oncology, Journal of Neuro-Oncology, Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, and Journal of Clinical Oncology: for the current update we handsearched the latest three years of articles from these journals (up to November 2019). We searched for all randomised controlled trials (RCTs), controlled clinical trials, cohort studies, and case-control studies of any pharmacological treatment of depression in people with a histologically diagnosed primary brain tumour. No studies met the inclusion criteria. We found no eligible studies evaluating the benefits of any pharmacological treatment of depression in people with a primary brain tumour. We identified no high-quality studies that investigated the value of pharmacological treatment of depression in people with a primary brain tumour.RCTs and detailed prospective studies are required to inform the effective pharmacological treatment of this common and important complication of brain tumours.Since the last version of this review none of the related new literature has provided additional information to change these conclusions.

Depression in people with skin conditions: The effects of disgust and self-compassion.

Objectives Skin conditions can be accompanied by significant levels of depression; there is therefore a need to identify the associated psychological factors to assist with the development of appropriate interventions. This study sought to examine the effects of disgust propensity, disgust sensitivity, self-focused/ruminative disgust, and self-compassion on depression in people with skin conditions. Design A cross-sectional survey with follow-up survey. Methods Dermatology outpatients (N=147) completed self-report measures of disgust traits, self-compassion, and depression. At three-month follow-up, participants (N=80) completed the depression measure again. Results Multiple regression analyses revealed that disgust propensity, disgust sensitivity, self-focused/ruminative disgust, and self-compassion each explained significant amounts of variance in baseline depression. Self-compassion also explained a significant amount of variance in depression at follow-up, after accounting for baseline depression. In addition, self-compassion moderated the effect of disgust propensity on depression at baseline, such that at high levels of self-compassion, disgust propensity no longer had a positive relationship with depression. Conclusions Disgust traits contribute to depression in people with skin conditions, while being self-compassionate may be protective against depression. High self-compassion also buffers the effects of disgust propensity on depression in people with skin conditions. The findings indicate the potential of compassion-focused interventions for depression in people with skin conditions. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? People with skin conditions can experience depression that is not well explained by condition severity. Skin conditions can elicit disgust reactions that, in turn, may contribute to the development of depression. Self-compassion is negatively associated with depression. What does this study add? Disgust traits explain significant variance in depression in people with skin conditions. Self-compassion may protect against depression through main and moderation effects. Disgust and self-compassion may provide important targets for interventions.

Depression in Alzheimer's Disease: An Alternative Role for Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors?

Depression is a common co-morbidity seen in people with Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the successful treatment of depressive symptoms in people with AD is rarely seen. In fact, multiple randomized controlled trials have shown selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the current best recommended treatment for depression, to be ineffective in treating depressive symptoms in people with AD. One explanation for this lack of treatment effect may be that depressive symptoms can reflect the progression of AD, rather than clinical depression and are a consequence of more severe neurodegeneration. This raises several questions regarding not only the efficacy of SSRIs in the treatment of depression in people with AD but also regarding the accuracy of diagnosis of depression in AD. However, there may be a rationale for the prescription of SSRIs in early AD. Even in the absence of depression, SSRIs have been shown to slow the conversion from mild cognitive impairment to AD. This may be attributed to the effect of SSRIs on the processing of amyloid-β precursor protein, which may cause a reduction in the accumulation of amyloid-β. Thus, although SSRIs may lack efficacy in treating depression in people with AD, they may hold therapeutic potential for treating and delaying the progression of AD especially if treatment begins in the early stages of AD. This article reviews the current consensus for SSRI treatment of depression in people with AD and highlights the possibility of SSRIs being a treatment option for delaying the progression of AD.

Opinion paper: poor response to treatment of depression in people in high occupational levels.

The working environment may have a significant effect on response to treatment of depression and this issue has not yet been sufficiently addressed in the scientific literature. There is evidence showing that being engaged in high-level positions can be an obstacle to the success of treatment. This article discusses the few evidence in the literature and some of the possible mechanisms involved. Specific personality attributes and difficulties in adapting to depression may delay access to care and may also reduce treatment compliance. The presence of stress in jobs that require high cognitive function and lack of social support may be elements that hinder the recovery process. Residual symptoms that impact on cognitive functions may undermine adherence to treatment and adversely affect the response. The implications of these issues are potentially relevant for clinical practice in the treatment of depression and for future research.