To describe the pattern of antidepressant (AD) therapy in routine care over a 6-month period and to explore associations with health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

FINDER was a 6-month prospective, observational study to investigate the HRQoL of 3,468 depressed outpatients receiving AD treatment. Type and dose of AD(s) prescribed at baseline and throughout the follow-up period was recorded and grouped into SSRIs, SNRIs, TCAs, others and combinations (ADs from >1 group). ‘Switching’ groups were defined when medication taken changed between period 1 (baseline-3 months) and period 2 (3-6 months). HRQoL measures included the EQ-5D Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), from ‘best imaginable health’ (100) to ‘worst imaginable health’ (0).

Complete information to assess switching patterns was available for 2,672 (77%) patients. Of those, 8.0% discontinued their AD, 5.6% decreased dose, 60.5% remained on stable dose, 9.6% increased dose; 5.1% and 8.6 % switched within and between AD groups, respectively. In addition, 2.7% re-started treatment or remained untreated. The mean(sd) EQ-5D VAS changes from baseline to 3-months were: 20(22), 20(22), 18(21), 17(21), 12(21), 12(24), and 13(22), respectively and from baseline to 6-months were: 24(24), 28(25), 26(24), 24(24), 16(23), 21(26) and 15(24), respectively. Those patients switching within classes and those without treatment in period 1 had worst HRQoL outcomes.

The majority of patients treated for depression remained on the same medication at a stable dose. HRQoL may have contributed to the decision to change AD therapy.

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