Health-Related Quality of Life and Costs Associated With Major Depressive Disorder in Patients With Prior Treatment Failure

Abstract: Introduction: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with humanistic and economic burden. Little is known about this burden among those with treatment failure. This analysis assessed health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and costs among adults with MDD and prior treatment failure. Methods: Adult respondents self-reporting a physician diagnosis of depression on the 2019 National Health and Wellness Survey were included; prior treatment failure was identified through respondents indicating that their current medication replaced a prior medication because of nonresponse. The cohort was stratified by MDD severity using PHQ-9 scores. Outcomes included HRQoL, direct costs (healthcare visits), and indirect costs (work productivity loss). Cost outcomes were compared between more severe MDD and mild severity cohorts via covariate-adjusted multivariable analyses and reported as annualized mean estimates. Results: A total of 1,077 MDD patients had prior treatment failure (mild=517; moderate=244; moderately-severe=187; severe=129). Compared with the mild cohort, patients in more severe cohorts exhibited significantly lower HRQoL outcomes (Short Form-36v2 Health Survey [SF-36v2] mental health component: mild=42.3, moderate=32.8, moderately-severe=27.5, severe=21.8 [all PShort Description: Using the 2019 National Health and Wellness Survey, humanistic and economic burdens of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and prior treatment failure were evaluated. The analysis assessed health-related quality of life, self-reported healthcare resource utilization, and direct and indirect costs between mild versus more severe MDD cohorts. Results indicated that both humanistic and economic burdens increased with disease severity, highlighting the need for effective treatment regimens to decrease disease severity and improve patient outcomes.Name of Sponsoring Organization(s): AbbVie