Survey: MDD patients experience symptoms despite treatment

PRINCETON, N.J. — About 61% of patients who live with major depressive disorder (MDD) and say they take their medication as prescribed still experience symptoms at least weekly, according to the results of a recent survey by Harris Poll commissioned by Otsuka America Pharmaceutical and Lundbeck. The results are shedding light on the daily struggles of the approximately 15 million U.S. adults who are affected by the illness. 

 

The survey of 300 MDD patients, 150 psychiatrists and 152 primary care providers also found that 56% of the MDD patients surveyed say it is their most serious health concern, and noted that the illness impacts their daily lives — requiring them to take days off work or causing them to have multiple days a week where they don’t feel up to daily living tasks. 

 

“The symptoms of major depressive disorder can have a debilitating effect on all aspects of the lives of adults who suffer from the disease,” said Dr. Gerald A. Maguire, professor and chair of psychiatry and neuroscience at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine. “Physicians work closely with their patients to find the treatment plans that are most effective, but unfortunately, even when patients take their medication as prescribed, many still deal with MDD symptoms frequently.”

 

Among surveyed patients with MDD who report satisfaction with their medication, 42% said they still experience symptoms at least once a week and 26% said they experience symptoms several times a week. Though only 3% of psychiatrists said there are not enough medication options that work well enough to treat MDD, 40% of those with MDD said they felt that way. However, 77% of psychiatrists and 69% of primary care providers say they are frustrated by the side effects their patients experience from their medication. 

 

“Patients should speak with their physicians about treatment plans and how often they are continuing to experience symptoms of MDD,” Dr. Maguire said. “New treatment advances may be required to better manage their symptoms.”