Effect of income level on adherence to antidepressant treatment in first onset depression outpatients

Clinical guidelines for depression management recommend continuous antidepressant medication; however, poor adherence to medication is commonly seen in the treatment of depression. Income is an important factor influencing antidepressant medication adherence. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between income level and adherence to antidepressant medication in outpatients with depression. This was a retrospective cohort study using National Health Insurance claim data for services provided between January 1 and December 31, 2012. We examined data from a total of 142,336 individuals aged 18 years or older who were continuously enrolled in treatment after a new episode of major depression and who had initiated antidepressant treatment. The operational definition of adherence to antidepressant treatment was medication being dispensed to the patient at least 80% of the time during 3 and 6 months (ie. MPR ≥80%). To investigate the relationship between income level and adherence to antidepressants, we estimated adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals using hierarchical logistic regression analysis, adjusting for sociodemographic, clinical, and medical use characteristics. A total of 22.64% and 15.13% of depression patients showed adherence to antidepressants during 3 and 6 months, respectively. A statistically significant association was found between income level and adherence to antidepressants over 3 and 6 months for individuals with employee and self-employed subscribers. In addition, adherence to antidepressants was lower among those with a lower income than those with a higher income. We confirmed that social disparities exist in adherence to antidepressant treatment by income level in this Korean population-based retrospective cohort of depression outpatients.