The usability of daytime and night-time heart rate dynamics as digital biomarkers of depression severity.

BACKGROUND: Alterations in heart rate (HR) may provide new information about physiological signatures of depression severity. This 2-year study in individuals with a history of recurrent major depressive disorder (MDD) explored the intra-individual variations in HR parameters and their relationship with depression severity. METHODS: Data from 510 participants (Number of observations of the HR parameters = 6666) were collected from three centres in the Netherlands, Spain, and the UK, as a part of the remote assessment of disease and relapse-MDD study. We analysed the relationship between depression severity, assessed every 2 weeks with the Patient Health Questionnaire-8, with HR parameters in the week before the assessment, such as HR features during all day, resting periods during the day and at night, and activity periods during the day evaluated with a wrist-worn Fitbit device. Linear mixed models were used with random intercepts for participants and countries. Covariates included in the models were age, sex, BMI, smoking and alcohol consumption, antidepressant use and co-morbidities with other medical health conditions. RESULTS: Decreases in HR variation during resting periods during the day were related with an increased severity of depression both in univariate and multivariate analyses. Mean HR during resting at night was higher in participants with more severe depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that alterations in resting HR during all day and night are associated with depression severity. These findings may provide an early warning of worsening depression symptoms which could allow clinicians to take responsive treatment measures promptly.

Patient preferences for key drivers and facilitators of adoption of mHealth technology to manage depression: A discrete choice experiment.

BACKGROUND: In time, we may be able to detect the early onset of symptoms of depression and even predict relapse using behavioural data gathered through mobile technologies. However, barriers to adoption exist and understanding the importance of these factors to users is vital to ensure maximum adoption. METHOD: In a discrete choice experiment, people with a history of depression (N = 171) were asked to select their preferred technology from a series of vignettes containing four characteristics: privacy, clinical support, established benefit and device accuracy (i.e., ability to detect symptoms), with different levels. Mixed logit models were used to establish what was most likely to affect adoption. Sub-group analyses explored effects of age, gender, education, technology acceptance and familiarity, and nationality. RESULTS: Higher level of privacy, greater clinical support, increased perceived benefit and better device accuracy were important. Accuracy was the most important, with only modest compromises willing to be made to increase other factors such as privacy. Established benefit was the least valued of the attributes with participants happy with technology that had possible but unknown benefits. Preferences were moderated by technology acceptance, age, nationality, and educational background. CONCLUSION: For people with a history of depression, adoption of technology may be driven by the desire for accurate detection of symptoms. However, people with lower technology acceptance and educational attainment, those who were younger, and specific nationalities may be willing to compromise on some accuracy for more privacy and clinical support. These preferences should help shape design of mHealth tools.

Barriers and opportunities for the treatment of mild-to-moderate depression with a watchful waiting approach.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to explore barriers and opportunities in non-pharmacological treatment of depression in primary care (PC) from the perspective of family physicians (FPs). METHODS: Qualitative analysis was used to explore a sample of 36 FPs treating patients with depressive symptoms. Criteria to maximize variability were followed. Participants were identified by key informants. Six group interviews were developed following a semi-structured thematic script. All interviews were transcribed, analyzed and triangulated. Information was saturated. Principals of reflexivity and circularity were implemented. RESULTS: The results obtained followed 3 main theoretical axes: the FP, the patient, the healthcare system, and the interaction between them. Barriers included poor alignment with clinical practice guidelines, inadequate FP training, patients' preferences and structural challenges in PC. Among opportunities were good FP clinical interview skills, the beneficial bond of trust between patients and FPs and improved communication with mental healthcare services. CONCLUSION: Based on FPs' perceptions, non-pharmacological treatment of depression in PC is particularly limited by lack of structured training; patients' preferences and treatment expectations; structural challenges in PC; and insufficient support from specialized mental health professionals. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Resources for education, structural support in PC and modified back up from mental healthcare services are needed.

Reasons for medication non-initiation: A qualitative exploration of the patients' perspective.

BACKGROUND: Non-initiation occurs when the doctor prescribes a new pharmacological treatment to a patient who does not fill the prescription. Non-initiation prevalence estimates range between 6% and 28% in Primary Care (PC) and it is associated with poorer clinical outcomes, more sick-leave days and higher costs. To date, the reasons for non-initiation have not been explored using a qualitative framework. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to identify reasons for medication non-initiation among PC patients with distinct treatment profiles (acute, chronic symptomatic and asymptomatic, and mental disorders). METHODS: An exploratory, explanatory qualitative study based on Grounded Theory. We conducted individual semi-structured interviews with 30 PC patients. A constant comparative method of analysis was performed. RESULTS: The results were similar for all therapeutic groups. The decision to initiate treatment is multifactorial. Users make a risk-benefit assessment which is influenced by their beliefs about the pathology and the medication, their emotional reaction, health literacy and cultural factors. The patients' context and relationship with the health system influence decision-making. CONCLUSIONS: The decision to initiate a treatment is strongly influenced by factors that health professionals can discuss with patients. Health professionals should explore patients' beliefs about benefits and risks to help them make informed decisions and promote shared decision-making. General practitioners should ensure that patients understand the benefits and risks of disease and treatment, while explaining alternative treatments, encouraging patients to ask questions and supporting their treatment decisions.

Effectiveness of watchful waiting versus antidepressants for patients diagnosed of mild to moderate depression in primary care: A 12-month pragmatic clinical trial (INFAP study).

BACKGROUND: Although mild to moderate major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the main reasons for consulting a general practitioner (GP), there is still no international consensus on the most appropriate therapeutic approach. METHODS: The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of watchful waiting (WW) compared with the use of antidepressants (ADs) for the treatment of mild to moderate depressive symptoms in 263 primary care (PC) usual-practice patients in a 12-month pragmatic non-randomised controlled trial. Both longitudinal and per-protocol analyses were performed, through a multilevel longitudinal analysis and a sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: We observed a statistically significant time x treatment interaction in the severity of depression (Patient Health Questionnaire, PHQ-9) and disability (World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule, WHODAS) in favour of the AD group at 6 months but not at 12 months. The effect size of this difference was small. No statistically significant differences were observed between groups in severity of anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory, BAI) or health-related quality-of-life (EuroQol-5D, EQ-5D). Sensitivity analysis and per-protocol analysis showed no differences between the two groups in any of the evaluated scales. CONCLUSIONS: Superiority of either treatment (WW and AD) was not demonstrated in patients treated for depression in PC after one year of follow-up.

[Do we really follow the Mediterranean diet?]. / Seguimos realmente una dieta mediterránea?

OBJECTIVE: To discover people's nutritional habits and their distance from the Mediterranean diet. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, descriptive study. SETTING: Gavà 2 Health District, Barcelona, Spain. PARTICIPANTS: 614 obtained at random from patients attending the centre. Stratified in 3 age groups (15-35, 36-64, and over 64). MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Validated questionnaire of the consumption by groups of food over the previous week. Then figures were compared with the standard values of the Mediterranean diet. RESULTS: Outstanding results were: 60% insufficiency in consumption of carbohydrates; 70.7% insufficiency in green vegetables, fruit and root vegetables; 75% of optimum consumption of pulses; 64% deficient consumption of milk products; 66% optimum consumption of fish; 73.8% optimum consumption of eggs; 71.2% proper intake of white meat; 64.2% excessive consumption of red meat and processed meats, which reached 86.6% among 15-35 year olds. There was a BMI over 25 in 59% of women and 63% of men, with obesity being most common among women and people over 64 years old. CONCLUSIONS: The population studied consumed an excessive amount of food with high contents of saturated fat, especially young people. There is a deficit in the intake of slowly absorbed carbohydrates and a less than ideal consumption of fruit, green vegetables and root vegetables, which was more marked among the young. The consumption of milk products was below the recommended amount. Pulses, fish and white meat were close to the right levels. This pattern is far from ideal and leads to higher risk of prevalent chronic illnesses.

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of antidepressant treatment in primary health care: a six-month randomised study comparing fluoxetine to imipramine.

BACKGROUND: Over the past decade, studies of the effectiveness of pharmacological treatment for depression have often been based on research designs intended to measure efficacy, and for this reason the results are of limited generalizability. Research is needed comparing the clinical and economic outcomes of antidepressants in day-to-day clinical practice. METHODS: A six-month randomised prospective naturalistic study comparing fluoxetine to imipramine carried out in three primary care health centres. Outcome measures were the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), direct costs, indirect costs and total costs. Subjects were evaluated at the beginning of treatment and at one, three and six months thereafter. RESULTS: Of the 103 patients, 38.8% (n = 40) were diagnosed with major depressive disorder, 14.6% (n = 15) with dysthymic disorder, and 46.6% (n = 48) with depressive disorder not otherwise specified. Patients with major depressive disorder or dysthymic disorder achieved similar clinical improvement in both treatment groups (mean MADRS ratings decrease in major depressive disorder from baseline to 6 months of 18.3 for imipramine and 18.8 for fluoxetine). For patients with major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder, the imipramine group had fewer treatment-associated costs (imipramine 469.66 Euro versus fluoxetine 1,585.93 Euro in major depressive disorder, p < 0.05; imipramine 175.39 Euro versus fluoxetine 2,929.36 Euro in dysthymic disorder, p < 0.05). The group with depressive disorder not otherwise specified did not experience statistically significant differences in clinical and costs outcomes between treatment groups. LIMITATIONS: Exclusion criteria, participating physicians may not represent GPs. CONCLUSIONS: In a primary care context, imipramine may represent a more cost-effective treatment option than fluoxetine for treating major depressive disorder or dysthymic disorder. There were no differences in cost-effectiveness in the treatment of depressive disorder not otherwise specified.

[How do we refer to mental health from primary care?]. / ¿Cómo derivamos a salud mental desde atención primaria?

OBJECTIVES: To describe referrals from primary care (PC) to mental health (MH) and to study the diagnostic and therapeutic concordance between the two. DESIGN: Retrospective, descriptive study. SETTING: Gavà II Primary Care Centre, Barcelona.Participants. All patients referred to MH in 1998, 1999 and 2000 (n=380). MAIN MEASUREMENTS: The following from the referral form and PC medical records were analysed: general diagnosis, drugs treatment, number of words in the report, and purpose of referral; and on the first visit to MH: general diagnosis and drugs treatment. The kappa index was used to analyse the concordance between the diagnostic and therapeutic groups. RESULTS: There were 380 referrals, 63.4% of which were women. Information was obtained from the referral form in 81.6% of cases. In 50.7% the reason for referral was for the case to be supervised; and in 12.4% the reason was not recorded. 18.7% (71 cases) did not attend their first MH appointment and waited an average of 78 days (SD=70.9) until the appointment. As 92 cases were lost (71 who did not attend and 21 for whom insufficient information was obtained), only 288 cases were analysed.The greatest diagnostic concordance between PC and MH was in mental deficiency (kappa=0.85) and psychotic disorder (kappa=0.77); and the minimum was in anxiety-depressive disorder (kappa=0.24). The maximum degree of therapeutic concordance was for neuroleptic drugs (kappa=0.66). CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic and therapeutic concordance between PC and MH is weak. The referral sheet is not present in a great many cases. The waiting-time until the first consultation may explain patient absenteeism.