Open AccessAntidepressant-induced reduction in betel-quid use in patients with depression
Author(s) -
Chung-Chieh Hung,
Chien-Hung Lee,
Chia Min Chung,
Srinivasan Nithiyanantham,
HsienYuan Lane,
YingChin Ko
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.59
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1536-5964
pISSN - 0025-7974
DOI - 10.1097/md.0000000000018672
Subject(s) - medicine , antidepressant , betel , bupropion , depression (economics) , population , dentistry , traditional medicine , psychiatry , environmental health , anxiety , structural engineering , pathology , nut , smoking cessation , engineering , economics , macroeconomics
Betel-quid is commonly used around the world and is listed as a Group I carcinogen. Prior research has suggested a possible association between antidepressants and betel-quid use. We aimed to clarify the effects of antidepressant therapy in betel-quid chewers in the population of patients with depression. We enrolled 204 patients with depressive disorders, collected their demographic information, and administered the Substance Use Severity Rating Scale for alcohol, cigarettes, and betel-quid and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. We compared betel-quid and non-betel-quid chewers and examined the effects of antidepressant therapy on betel-quid abstinence after previous exposure to betel-quid. Patients with depression were reported a higher prevalence of 26% betel-quid chewing habits and patients who chewed betel-quid showed more severe depressive symptoms. After antidepressant therapy, the addictiveness of betel-quid was significantly reduced by 4 times. This was a pioneering study showing that antidepressants could be a candidate for betel-quid cessation therapy. Future clinical trials are needed to verify their efficacy in reducing consumption for betel-quid addiction treatment.