This analysis explores outcomes of depressed outpatients observed for 6-months in routine care. Clinically diagnosed patients were grouped with respect to their ‘caseness’ for depression and/or anxiety.

FINDER was a prospective, observational study evaluating health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in 3,468 depressed outpatients receiving antidepressant treatment. Patients completed ratings on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) at baseline, 3 and 6 months. HADS subscores of ≤7, 8-10 and >11 at baseline were used to classify patients into ‘non-cases,’ ‘doubtful cases,’ and ‘probable cases’ for depression and anxiety, respectively. HRQoL measures included the Short-Form-Health-Survey (SF-36).

74% of patients with clinically diagnosed depression fulfilled HADS criteria for probable case for anxiety, 66% for probable case for depression and 56% for both, depression and anxiety. After 6-months, 50% of HADS-defined cases for depression at baseline were non-cases for anxiety and depression. Similarly, 40% of cases for anxiety and 41% of cases for both depression and anxiety at baseline were non-cases for anxiety and depression at 6-months. SF-36 physical and mental component scores (PCS, MCS) at 6-months were 51.5(7.6), 46.1(8.6) for non-cases for depression, 51.3(7.8), 46.9(8.3) for anxiety non-cases and 52.0(7.4), 48.2(7.5) for non-cases for comorbid depression and anxiety at 6-months, respectively.

Depression seems to improve more than anxiety or comorbid depression and anxiety, according to HADS. Physicians appear to not always comply with DSM-IV classification criteria when making a diagnosis of clinical depression.

FINDER was supported by Eli Lilly and Company Limited & Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH