Non-Adherence to Antidepressants in Recurrent Depressive Disorder: A Review

Abstract

NonQadherence to antidepressants is one of the main reasons of relapses while treating people with recurrent depressive disorder. Review of the articles reporting on the association
between nonQadherence to antidepressants and outcomes indicates that nonQcompliant patients are more likely to have an increased risks of relapse, reQhospitalizations, increased severity
of depression and decrease in response that can also lead to increase in total healthcare costs associated with depression. PatientQspecific barriers and medication side effects as well as
acceptability are the major challenges for adhering to treatment. Considering all measures of the particular antidepressant (efficacy, acceptability, cost), sertraline might be the best first
choice for treating moderate to severe depression. There is also an unmet need to develop effective interventions to improve adherence to antidepressants. To do so, we should focus not
only on clinicians but also nurses and share with patients some printed educational information about depression.