The present study aimed at identifying clinical risk factors for switch into (hypo)mania or mixed states, within 8 weeks after introduction of an antidepressant or after increasing its dosage.
Treatment of bipolar depression with antidepressants is strongly debated for the methodologically poor and insufficient data supporting their use and the widely held belief that antidepressants can induce new episodes of abnormal mood elevation or accelerate the rate of cycling. The present study aimed at identifying clinical risk factors for switch into (hypo)mania or mixed states, within 8 weeks after introduction of an antidepressant or after increasing its dosage, in a prospective, longitudinal design.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
221
Risk for antidepressant-associated switch from depression to hypomania, mania, or mixed episode during the 8 weeks after the introduction of an antidepressant or after increasing the dosage of baseline antidepressant.
Hospital Clinic Barcelona
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Risk for antidepressant-associated switch from depression to hypomania, mania, or mixed episode during the 8 weeks after the introduction of an antidepressant or after increasing the dosage of baseline antidepressant.
Bipolar I or II outpatients, current major depressive episode (HDRS-17 over 20), were treated with any antidepressant combined with treatment-as-usual, as decided by the treating psychiatrist. Treatment-emergent affective switch was defined as fully syndromic hypomanic, manic, or mixed episode: YMRS \>12 and an increase of 5 points or more compared to the last assessment for hypomanic/manic features, and YMRS and HDRS-17 \>14 for a mixed episode. The above-mentioned alterations needed to occur within 8 weeks after introduction of the antidepressant or after increasing the dosage.
Time frame: 8 weeks.
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