Antidepressants are recommended to be withdrawn during a manic episode. This analysis explored the characteristics of patients receiving antidepressants during an acute manic episode in the context of a large, observational study.

EMBLEM (European Mania in Bipolar Longitudinal Evaluation of Medication) is a 2-year prospective observational study of acute mania/mixed mania. Of 2416 patients, 345 (14%) were taking an antidepressant (AD) and 2071 (86%) were not (NAD) during acute mania. Demographic and clinical variables were collected at baseline and at outpatient visits up to 2 years. Illness severity was measured using Clinical Global Impressions–Bipolar Disorder (CGI-BP), 5-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D-5), and Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS). Logistic regression analysis was used to identify variables associated with AD use.

AD use varied across countries (p<0.05), more use with mixed episodes (p<0.001), rapid cyclers (p=0.02), more previous depressive episodes (p<0.001) and higher HAM-D-5 severity at baseline (p<0.001) but less use with higher education (p=0.029), YMRS (p=0.022), CGI-BP overall (p=0.006) severity and inpatients at baseline (p<0.001). There were no differences in alcohol abuse or suicide attempts. Depression recurrence rates were significantly higher with AD (p<0.001).

The EMBLEM study suggests that patients with mania receiving antidepressants are more likely to be outpatients with mixed mania or rapid cycling, and have a higher risk of depressive recurrence during follow-up. Clinicians seem to maintain antidepressants in manic patients to address depressive features during mania and prevent further depressive episodes.

EMBLEM was supported by Eli Lilly and Company.