Sociodemographic and clinical predictors of compliance with antidepressants for depressive disorders: systematic review of observational studies

BACKGROUND: The literature shows that compliance with antidepressant treatment is unsatisfactory. Several personal and disease-related variables have been shown to be related to compliance behavior. The objective of this study was to review the literature about sociodemographic and clinical predictors of compliance in patients with depressive disorders. METHODS: The Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central, PsycInfo, and Cinahl databases were searched until May 2012. Studies that analyzed sociodemographic and clinical predictors or correlates of compliance in patients with depressive disorder were included. A quantitative synthesis was not performed because of the heterogeneity and availability of the data reported. For similar reasons, the results were not classified according to the different phases of treatment. The search was limited to studies published in English and Spanish. RESULTS: Thirty-two studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The most consistent associations with compliance were found for age (older patients showed more compliance) and race (white patients were more likely to adhere to treatment than minority ethnic groups). Few studies assessed clinical factors, and the most plausible predictors of compliance were certain comorbidities and substance abuse. Severity of depression did not play an important role in predicting compliance. CONCLUSION: The impact of the variables studied on compliance behavior appeared to be inconsistent. Identifying potential predictors of compliance with antidepressant treatment is important, both for the routine practice of the mental health professional and for refining interventions to enhance adherence and target them to specific populations at risk of noncompliance.