Genetic and Phenotypic Associations With Sustained Antidepressant Use in Major Depressive Disorder.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Antidepressant treatment remains a trial-and-error process: one-third of people with major depressive disorder (MDD) report inefficacy of first-line medications. Predictors of prescription patterns are needed to improve prescribing precision.

Objective

To investigate phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity of MDD subgroups defined by antidepressant prescription patterns.

Design, setting, and participants

This was a retrospective cohort study of Australian Genetics of Depression Study (2017-2018) adult participants (aged ≥18 years) with lifetime MDD who filled 1 or more prescriptions of the 10 most commonly used antidepressants across 4.5 years (2013-2017). Data were analyzed from August 2024 to October 2025.

Exposures

Treatment complexity was assessed a

SUBMITTER: Walker A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12853290 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature