Pharmacy News Article

2009 NOV 5 - (NewsRx.com) "This cross-sectional study of adult survey respondents with disability and depression (n = 199) enrolled in Massachusetts' Medicaid program examined the association of adequately or inadequately prescribed antidepressant treatment and self-reported work status using conditional logistic regression, controlling for age, gender, race, marital status, education, receipt of SSI/SSDI, self-reported disabling condition, and health status," investigators in the United States report.

"Confounding by severity was addressed by two methods: restriction of our sample and subsequent stratification by propensity score (see also Depression). Individuals receiving adequate antidepressant treatment had an increased odds of working compared to individuals receiving inadequate treatment, both in analyses in which restriction was used to limit confounding (OR = 3.45, 95% CI = 1.15-10.32, P< .03), and in analyses which combined restriction with adjustment by propensity score stratification (OR = 3.04, 95% CI = 1.01-9.62, P< .05)," wrote E.G. Smith and colleagues, University of Massachusetts.

The researchers concluded: "Among this sample of Medicaid enrollees with disability and depression, those receiving adequate antidepressant treatment were significantly more likely to report working."

Smith and colleagues published their study in Community Mental Health Journal (Antidepressant Adequacy and Work Status Among Medicaid Enrollees with Disabilities: A Restriction-based, Propensity Score-adjusted Analysis. Community Mental Health Journal, 2009;45(5):333-340).

For additional information, contact E.G. Smith, University of Massachusetts, School Medical, Center Psychopharmacol Research & Treatment, 55 Lake Avenue N, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.

The publisher of the Community Mental Health Journal can be contacted at: Springer, Van Godewijckstraat 30, 3311 Gz Dordrecht, Netherlands.