Comparison of depression diagnostic severity, symptomatology and suicidality by antidepressant category
| Any one SNRI and mirtazapine n=89 (%) | Any one SSRI and mirtazapine n=110 (%) | Any two SSRIs n=89 (%) | Citalopram n=213 (%) | Escitalopram n=52 (%) | Fluoxetine n=200 (%) | Mirtazapine n=305 (%) | Sertraline n=360 (%) | Venlafaxine n=143 (%) | Total n=1561 (%) | Test statistic; p values*† | |
| Depression severity | |||||||||||
| Depression severity: mild | 16 (18) | 22 (20) | 19 (21.4) | 33 (15.5) | 14 (26.9) | 41 (20.5) | 57 (18.7) | 79 (21.9) | 22 (15.4) | 303 (19.4) | df=16 |
| Moderate to severe | 49 (55) | 50 (45.5) | 37 (41.6) | 91 (42.7) | 18 (34.6) | 84 (42) | 185 (60.7) | 165 (45.8) | 60 (42) | 739 (47.3) | 17.44 |
| Unspecified severity | 13 (14.6) | 13 (11.8) | 15 (16.9) | 45 (21.1) | 9 (17.3) | 29 (14.5) | 52 (17.1) | 59 (16.4) | 34 (23.8) | 269 (17.2) | 0.358 |
| Past symptoms‡ | |||||||||||
| Psychotic symptoms: 0–1 mention | 68 (76.4) | 77 (70) | 70 (78.7) | 176 (82.6) | 46 (88.5) | 168 (84) | 238 (78.1) | 293 (81.4) | 112 (78.3) | 1248 (80) | 14.33 |
| ≥2 mentions | 21 (23.6) | 33 (30) | 19 (21.3) | 37 (17.4) | 6 (11.5) | 32 (16) | 67 (21.9) | 67 (18.6) | 31 (21.7) | 313 (20) | 0.073 |
| Cognitive symptoms: 0–1 mention | 62 (69.7) | 78 (70.9) | 68 (76.4) | 186 (87.3) | 45 (86.5) | 179 (89.5) | 254 (83.3) | 293 (81.4) | 111 (77.6) | 1276 (81.7) | 34.50 |
| ≥2 mentions | 27 (30.3) | 32 (29.1) | 21 (23.6) | 27 (12.6) | 7 (13.5) | 21 (10.5) | 51 (16.7) | 67 (18.6) | 32 (22.4) | 285 (18.3) | <0.001 |
| Affective symptoms: zero to one mention | 29 (32.6) | 40 (36.4) | 33 (37.1) | 119 (55.9) | 24 (46.2) | 110 (55) | 113 (37.1) | 131 (36.4) | 52 (36.4) | 651 (41.7) | 46.24 |
| ≥2 mentions | 60 (67.4) | 70 (63.6) | 56 (62.9) | 94 (44.1) | 28 (53.8) | 90 (45) | 192 (62.9) | 229 (63.6) | 91 (63.6) | 910 (58.3) | <0.001 |
| Somatic symptoms: 0–1 mention | 39 (43.8) | 57 (51.2) | 49 (55.1) | 154 (72.3) | 34 (65.4) | 134 (67) | 155 (50.8) | 203 (56.4) | 85 (59.4) | 900 (57.7) | 42.07 |
| ≥2 mentions | 50 (56.2) | 53 (48.1) | 40 (44.9) | 59 (27.7) | 18 (34.6) | 66 (33) | 150 (49.2) | 157 (43.6) | 58 (40.6) | 651 (41.7) | <0.001 |
| Past suicidality | |||||||||||
| Suicidal ideation: yes | 33 (37.1) | 38 (34.5) | 30 (33.7) | 40 (18.8) | 10 (19.2) | 44 (22) | 78 (25.6) | 101 (28.1) | 35 (24.5) | 409 (26.2) | 22.12 |
| No | 56 (62.9) | 72 (65.5) | 59 (66.3) | 173 (81.2) | 42 (80.8) | 156 (78) | 227 (74.4) | 259 (71.9) | 108 (75.5) | 1152 (73.8) | <0.05 |
| Suicide attempt: yes | 20 (22.4) | 34 (30.9) | 30 (33.7) | 39 (18.3) | 6 (11.5) | 48 (24) | 65 (21.3) | 77 (21.4) | 32 (22.4) | 351 (22.5) | 17.37 |
| No | 69 (77.5) | 76 (69.1) | 59 (66.3) | 174 (81.7) | 46 (88.5) | 152 (76) | 240 (76.7) | 283 (78.6) | 111 (77.6) | 1210 (77.5) | <0.05 |
*ANOVA, χ2 test, t-tests or the Kruskal-Wallis tests were conducted to test differences between patient groups.
†df=8, unless otherwise specified.
‡‘Past’ refers to the 12 months prior to the observation window; Individuals with 0 or 1 mention of a symptom in the 12-month period prior to the observation frame were considered to be undergoing a milder experience of the symptom compared with individuals who had 2 or more mentions of the symptom in the 12-month period.
ANOVA, analysis of variance; SNRI, selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor; SSRI, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor.