@article{ref1,
title="Response to intravenous antidepressant treatment by suicidal vs. nonsuicidal depressed patients",
journal="Journal of affective disorders",
year="2010",
author="Pompili, Maurizio and Baldessarini, Ross J. and Tondo, Leonardo and Innamorati, Marco and Tatarelli, Roberto and Girardi, Paolo and De Pisa, Eleonora",
volume="122",
number="1-2",
pages="154-158",
abstract="BACKGROUND: As effects of suicidal status on antidepressant responses remain uncertain, we compared responses to treatment in suicidal and nonsuicidal depressed patients. METHODS: We evaluated treatment response and covariates in 82 depressed patients diagnosed with DSM-IV major depressive (n=50) or bipolar disorders (n=32) treated initially in a day-hospital for 2 weeks, followed by 4 weeks of outpatient treatment, using citalopram given intravenously and then orally, with or without a mood-stabilizer. Suicidal status was based on an intake score of > or = 3 on item-3 of the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, verified by clinical assessment. Morbidity and clinical change were assessed with the remaining 16 items (HDRS(16)). RESULTS: Suicidal (n=31) and nonsuicidal subjects (n=51) were similar in baseline ratings of depressive symptom-severity but were depressed longer and more likely to abuse substances. Suicidal ratings improved by 36% during 6 weeks of treatment among initially suicidal patients, but other depressive symptoms (HDRS(16)) improved half as much as in nonsuicidal subjects (13.4 vs. 25.1 points), independent of diagnosis, initial illness-severity, and treatment, and half as many patients improved by > or = 20%. In multivariate modeling, only being suicidal predicted poor response. CONCLUSIONS: Being suicidal may limit response to treatment in depressed major affective disorder patients, independent of diagnosis or overall symptomatic severity.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0165-0327",
doi="10.1016/j.jad.2009.07.018",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2009.07.018"
}