Definition and Identification of Patients with Treatment-Resistant Depression in Real-World Clinical Practice Settings Across Asia

PURPOSE: An Asia-Pacific expert consensus defined treatment-resistant depression (TRD) as failure of ≥2 antidepressants given at adequate doses for 6–8 weeks during a major depressive episode. A survey examined how TRD was being diagnosed in real-world practices across Asia. An expert panel then interpreted the results and provided practical recommendations. METHODS: Between March and July 2018, 246 clinicians from Hong Kong, Japan, Mainland China, South Korea, and Taiwan were surveyed on how they identified TRD patients according to their own definitions. RESULTS: Most physicians described antidepressant failure as “no response” (79%) or “inadequate response” (82%); fewer chose “failure to achieve remission” (45%). About 40% did not routinely use clinical tools to assess response. Around 52% defined adequate dose target as achieving the label’s upper dose limit. About 58% would treat for 4–8 weeks before determining antidepressant failure. Most (76%) required the ≥2 qualifying antidepressant failures to be from different classes. Approximately 60% considered antidepressant failure(s) from previous depressive episode(s) when diagnosing TRD. CONCLUSION: Considering the survey results, antidepressant failure can be defined as a failure to achieve remission, or more practically as <50% improvement in depressive symptoms or inability to return to work/study, and confirmed with a clinical tool. TRD diagnosis also requires ≥2 qualifying antidepressant failures within the same depressive episode; from the same or different classes; and achieving at least the minimum effective antidepressant dose for 6–8 weeks.