Anhedonia in depressed patients on treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor anti-depressant--A two-centered study in Malaysia.

OBJECTIVE: Anhedonia is the reduced ability to experience pleasure. It is a core symptom of depression and is particularly difficult to treat. This study aims to compare the level of anhedonia between depressed patients on anti-depressants and healthy subjects. METHOD: A total of 111 depressed patients on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and 82 healthy subjects were recruited from the outpatient psychiatric services at two major general hospitals in a cross-sectional study. Subjects were assessed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview 5.0.0 or MINI, Beck's Depression Index (BDI), and Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS). Relevant personal and sociodemographic information were also collected. RESULTS: There was a significant association between educational level and SHAPS-M scores (P < 0.01) among the participants. Most items in the SHAPS scores were significantly different (P < 0.01) in the depressed subjects treated with anti-depressant compared with the healthy subjects, after adjusting the confounding factors, BDI score, and educational level. CONCLUSION: Anhedonia often persists in depressed patients despite on SSRI anti-depressant treatment.