Open AccessItalian patients with more recent onset of Major Depressive Disorder have a shorter duration of untreated illness
Author(s) -
Dell'Osso Bernardo,
Cremaschi Laura,
Grancini Benedetta,
De Cagna Francesca,
Benatti Beatrice,
Camuri Giulia,
Arici Chiara,
Dobrea Cristina,
Oldani Lucio,
Palazzo Maria Carlotta,
Vismara Matteo,
Altamura A. Carlo
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
international journal of clinical practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.756
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 1742-1241
pISSN - 1368-5031
DOI - 10.1111/ijcp.12926
Subject(s) - medicine , duration (music) , major depressive disorder , pediatrics , severity of illness , age of onset , psychiatry , disease , art , cognition , literature
Summary Background Previous investigation on the duration of untreated illness ( DUI ) in patients with Major Depressive Disorder ( MDD ) revealed a different latency to first antidepressant treatment, with adverse consequences in terms of outcome for individuals with a longer DUI . Recent reports, moreover, documented a reduced DUI , as observed with the passage of time, in patients with different psychiatric disorders. Hence, the present study was aimed to assess DUI and related variables in a sample of Italian patients with MDD as well as to investigate potential differences in subjects with onset before and after 2000. Methods An overall sample of 188 patients with MDD was assessed through a specific questionnaire investigating DUI and other variables related to the psychopathological onset and latency to first antidepressant treatment, after dividing them in two different subgroups on the basis of their epoch of onset. Results The whole sample showed a mean DUI of approximately 4.5 years, with patients with more recent onset showing a significantly shorter latency to treatment compared with the other group (27.1±42.6 vs 75.8±105.2 months, P <.05). Other significant differences emerged between the two subgroups, in terms of rates of onset‐related stressful events and benzodiazepine prescription, respectively, higher and lower in patients with more recent onset. Conclusions Our findings indicate a significant DUI reduction in MDD patients whose onset occurred after vs before 2000, along with other relevant differences in terms of onset‐related correlates and first pharmacotherapy. Further studies with larger samples are warranted to confirm the present findings in Italy and other countries.