Augmentation strategies in the treatment of major depressive disorder

Abstract

Augmentation strategies for the treatment of Major depressive disorder (MDD) are needed when patients with MDD have a partial, or not responded to antidepressant monotherapy. The focus of augmentation therapy has been combining an antidepressant (AD) medication with another AD. Atypical antipsychotics (AAP) are becoming commonly used to augment antidepressants. Beyond AD and AAP, alternative augmentation strategies include mood stabilizers (MS).

Aim

To analyze the characteristics of therapy in patients with diagnosis of MDD and to investigate the frequency of augmentation therapy.

Method

Study included 28 patients hospitalized during one year with MDD diagnosis. Statistical analysis was performed with x2 and t-test.

Result

Among patients with MDD there were 18 (64.28%) women with an average age 57.5 and 10 (35.71%) men with an average age 53.5. Of the 28 patients with MDD, 25 (89.28%) were treated with a combination therapy, and monotherapy in the remaining 3 patients (10.71%). Of 25 patients with augmentation strategy treatment, 22 (88%) used two medications and the remaining 3 (12%) tree psychotropic medications (AAP, AD, MS). The most frequent combinations were a combination of AD and AAP (17 patients, 68%). Beyond that frequent combination were AD and MS (6 patients, 24%). Two patients used combination two AAP, and one patient with two AD and one patients used AAP and MS.

Conclusion

Augmentation strategy is often used in patients with MDD. There is no significant difference in the use combination therapy based on gender and age.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.