Increased Readmission Rates in Younger Male Patients Due to Suicidal Risk in Newly Diagnosed Depressive Disorders After Initiation of Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors

Background Depressive disorders have a prevalence of 322 million people worldwide and are a leading cause of morbidity. These disorders can affect individuals of all ages and can present over time. Due to the diversity in the presentation of depressive disorders, vigilance towards depressive disorders can lead to more timely and effective treatment. Serotonin Selective Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs) are the first lines of treatment for these disorders. Moreover, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a black-box warning for several antidepressants, stating an increased risk of suicidality in individuals under 25 years old. However, the placement of this black-box warning has been controversial. In this study, the authors aim to investigate if there is a relationship between the use of SSRI or SNRI on patients with newly diagnosed depressive disorder and hospital readmission due to suicide-related events. Methods For this retrospective cohort study, de-identified data were obtained from the HCA Healthcare database by searching for patients newly diagnosed with depressive disorders and started on SSRIs or SNRIs. Patient data were evaluated for readmissions due to suicide-related events within 90 days of discharge from the hospital and establishing their initial SSRI/SNRI prescription. Results After data was obtained and evaluated via statistical analysis, the variables with statistical significance were: age (p-value = 0.0164) and sex (p-value = 0.0150). These two were significantly associated with the rate of readmission: younger and male patients had an increased risk of readmission due to suicide-related events within 90 days of discharge after starting SSRI, or SNRI, to treat depressive disorders. Conclusion These results support the importance of monitoring patients started on SSRI or SNRI, with particularly careful consideration in depressed young male patients.