Anhedonia predicts poorer recovery among youth with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatment-resistant depression.

ABSTRACT: To identify symptom dimensions of depression that predict recovery among selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment-resistant adolescents undergoing second-step treatment.The Treatment of Resistant Depression in Adolescents (TORDIA) trial included 334 SSRI treatment-resistant youth randomized to a medication switch, or a medication switch plus CBT. This study examined five established symptom dimensions (Child Depression Rating Scale-Revised) at baseline as they predicted recovery over 24 weeks of acute and continuation treatment. The two indices of recovery that were evaluated were time to remission and number of depression-free days.Multivariate analyses examining all five depression symptom dimensions simultaneously indicated that anhedonia was the only dimension to predict a longer time to remission, and also the only dimension to predict fewer depression-free days. In addition, when anhedonia and CDRS-total score were evaluated simultaneously, anhedonia continued to uniquely predict longer time to remission and fewer depression-free days.Anhedonia may represent an important negative prognostic indicator among treatment-resistant depressed adolescents. Further research is needed to elucidate neurobehavioral underpinnings of anhedonia, and to test treatments that target anhedonia in the context of overall treatment of depression.

SUBMITTER: McMakin DL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3536476 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature