Impact of adherence to antidepressants on healthcare outcomes and costs among patients with type 2 diabetes and comorbid major depressive disorder

AbstractObjective: To evaluate the association between adherence to antidepressants and an effect on clinical outcomes and healthcare costs in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and comorbid type 2 diabetes (T2D).Methods: This retrospective study used MarketScan claims data from January 2012 to March 2014. Study entry was the first claim for an antidepressant and a diagnosis code for MDD and T2D in the prior 6 months. Adherence and persistence with antidepressant therapy in the first 180 days were defined as medication possession ratio (MPR) ≥ 80% and length of therapy (LOT), with no treatment gap of >15 days, respectively. T2D control (HbA1c <7%), oral diabetes medication adherence, and healthcare costs were measured in the 12 month post-index period. The impact of antidepressant adherence and persistence on outcomes was assessed using multivariable analyses.Results: Among the 1361 patients included, the mean age was 59 years and 55% were women. About one-third of the patients were adherent (3...