Adverse drug reactions among major depressive disorders: patterns by age and gender

BACKGROUND: Although a significant crisis of adverse drug reaction (ADR) among major depressive disorders (MDDs) is not uncommon, research in Ethiopia has been limited. As a result, the goal of this study was to estimate the prevalence rate of ADRs among MDD patients by age and gender at the outpatient department of Amanuel mental specialized hospital (AMSH) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. METHOD: The study was conducted on 129 (61 men and 68 women) volunteers at the outpatient department of AMSH, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from November 2020–March 2021. A longitudinal cross-sectional study design was employed. All participants were between 35 and 72 years old, with a mean age of 49.5 (SD = 18.8). Patients who had been taking an antidepressant for at least one month and had a follow-up within the first three months after diagnosis and treatment initiation were included in the study. Antidepressant-related ADRs were assessed using the Naranjo ADR probability scale. Antidepressant side-effect checklist (ASEC) as all ADRs have been listed on it was also used to classify a mental state examination (MSE) into mild, moderate, and severe. RESULTS: According to this study, the overall prevalence of antidepressant-related adverse reactions among MDD patients was 69%, with females having a higher prevalence rate. One of the study's unexpected findings was that ADR was significantly (p = 0.039) higher in young study subjects than in the elderly (73.1% versus 66.2%, respectively). ADRs were shown to be substantially more common in patients taking polypharmacy than in mono-pharmacy (72.5% versus 65%, respectively). The bulk of the ADRs reported were likely, moderate, and probably avoidable. The most common adverse effects reported by patients in the current study were weight gain in TCAs, followed by sexual dysfunction with SSRIs, nausea or vomiting in MAOIs, and headache in SNRIs. The prevalence of ADRs was higher in MAOIs (80%), while SSRIs had the lowest (62.5%). The prevalence of ADRs varies depending on comorbidities: 62.7 % in the absence of comorbidities versus 74.3% in the presence of comorbidities (those with one or more comorbidities). CONCLUSION: ADRs that occur in MDD patients are considerable, and gender and age are associated with their occurrence. These findings underscore the importance of monitoring ADRs in mental outpatients frequently to recognize and decrease the risks posed by ADRs earlier. As a result, the quality of care may increase, total health care expenses may decrease, and adherence among patients with depression may improve.