Subgrouping time-dependent prescribing patterns of first-onset major depressive episodes by psychotropics dissection

Table 2 Multivariable analyses for the comparisons of clinical features by empirically-derived clusters (n = 105)

	Simple pharmacy, short-term antidepressants use (SA, n = 19)	Simple pharmacy, long-term antidepressants use (LA, n = 33)	Complex pharmacy, long-term antidepressants and sedatives use (LAS, n = 34)	Complex pharmacy, long-term antidepressants, sedatives and augmentation use (LASA, n = 19)	P value for pos-hoc comparison using multivariable regression test
	IRR (95%CI)	IRR (95%CI)	IRR (95%CI)	IRR (95%CI)
Clinical feature within 2-yr of disease onset1
Number of antidepressants use	0.57 (0.32-0.82)	0.74 (0.52-0.97)	0.94 (0.66-1.23)	0.96 (0.61-1.31)
Number of antidepressants use with adequate dosage and duration	0.50 (0.26-0.73)	0.64 (0.44-0.85)	0.87 (0.59-1.15)	0.95 (0.60-1.31)	SA < LAS (P = 0.04); SA < LASA (P = 0.03)
Visits of psychiatric outpatient service	4.76 (4.04-5.47)	7.46 (6.75-8.17)	10.34 (9.37-11.30)	11.37 (10.15-12.58)	SA < LA (P < 0.001); SA < LAS (P < 0.001); SA < LASA (P < 0.001); LA < LAS (P < 0.001); LA < LASA (P < 0.001)
Frequencies of psychiatric admission	0.03 (-0.02-0.08)	0.05 (-0.002-0.10)	0.03 (-0.01-0.08)	0.24 (0.04-0.44)	SA < LASA (P = 0.01); LA < LASA (P = 0.004); LAS < LASA (P = 0.001)
Clinical feature beyond 2-yr of disease onset
Visits of psychiatric outpatient service2	3.03 (2.58-3.49)	5.81 (5.34-6.30)	10.21 (9.49-10.93)	10.86 (9.98-11.74)	SA < LAS (P < 0.001); SA < LA (P < 0.001); SA < LASA (P < 0.001); LA < LAS (P < 0.001); LA < LASA (P < 0.001)
Frequencies of psychiatric admission3	-	-	-	-
	EMM (95%CI)	EMM (95%CI)	EMM (95%CI)	EMM (95%CI)
Severity of depression in the recruitment4	0.58 (0.23-0.93)	0.90 (0.54-1.25)	1.66 (1.10-2.22)	2.20 (1.37-3.30)	SA < LAS (P = 0.002); SA < LASA (P < 0.001); LA < LAS (P = 0.02); LA < LASA (P = 0.001)

¹Covariates included into the Poisson regression model were sex, age of onset, comorbid anxiety disorder, and number of medical comorbidities. OFFSET = logarithm (2).

²Covariates included into the multivariable Poisson regression model were sex, age of onset, comorbid anxiety disorder, and number of medical comorbidities. OFFSET = logarithm (duration of course beyond 2-yr of disease onset).

³Covariates included into the multivariable Poisson regression model were sex, age of onset, comorbid anxiety disorder, and number of medical comorbidities. OFFSET = logarithm (duration of course beyond 2-yr of disease onset). This model failed to converge because of zero count in some clusters.

⁴Covariates included into the general linear model were sex, age of onset, comorbid anxiety disorder, number of medical comorbidities, and duration of course beyond 2-yr of disease onset. Severity of depression was scored according to the level of depression, which was evaluated by the Beck Depression Inventory. IRR: Incident rate ratio; EMM: Estimated marginal mean.

CI: Confidence interval.