(199) Association Between Antidepressant Use Patterns on The Long-Term Trajectories of Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms and Health-Related Quality of Life

Friday, August 26, 2022

8:00 AM – 6:00 PM CEST

Location: Hall C

Publication Number: 530

Presenting Author(s)

Nhung Thi Hong Trinh
– University of Oslo, Oslo, Oslo, Norway

Co-Author(s)

Flavie Perrier
– University of Oslo, Norway
Hedvig Nordeng, PhD, FISPE
– Professor, University of Oslo, Oslo, Oslo, Norway
Angela Lupattelli, MSc
– Researcher, University of Oslo, University of Oslo, Oslo, Oslo, Norway

Background: Little is known about the association between antidepressant use patterns on the trajectories of depressive and anxiety symptoms and health-related quality of life during the transition from pregnancy to early motherhood among pregnant women with depression and/or anxiety.

Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of antidepressants in improving depressive/anxiety symptoms and quality of life during and after pregnancy

Methods: We studied 5069 women participated in the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study who reported having depression and/or anxiety prior to pregnancy and completed four antenatal and postnatal questionnaires. Our outcome measures included depressive and anxiety symptoms, as measured using the short version of the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist (SCL-5), and health-related quality of life, via the Satisfaction With Life (SWLS) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem (RSES) Scales. Based on self-reported antidepressant use before, during, and after pregnancy, women were categorized into: continuers (1.0%), discontinuers (13.0%), intermitters (1.3%), initiators (2.6%), and non-medicated (81.4%). Longitudinal trajectory identification was based on latent class mixed modelling. The posterior probability of being classified in different trajectories of each treatment group was estimated from the multivariable multinomial regression models.

Results: For SCL-5, beside the low and high stable symptoms trajectories (74.2% in total), low increasing (13.6%) and medium decreasing (12.2%) trajectories which crossed the clinical threshold (SCL-5=2.0) were identified. Continuers had significantly higher posterior probability of being classified in the medium decreasing group compared to other treatment groups. Only stable trajectories at different levels of SWLS and RSES were observed.

Conclusions: In pregnant women with depression and anxiety, stable symptom and health-related quality of life trajectories were predominant. Antidepressant continuers during and after pregnancy were more likely to have their symptoms improving overtime.