Objective
The objective of this review was to identify outcomes reported in adolescent major depressive disorder trials and quantify outcome heterogeneity.
Study Design and Setting
Three databases were searched to identify trials evaluating therapies for major depressive disorder in adolescents published from 2008-2017. Identified outcomes were thematically grouped and mapped into predefined outcome core areas (Physiological/Clinical, Life Impact, Resource Use, Adverse Events, and Death). Outcome heterogeneity was quantified using descriptive analyses.
Results
Of 2686 articles yielded from the search, 42 articles describing 32 trials were included. A total of 434 outcomes measured using 118 different outcome measurement instruments were grouped into 86 unique outcome terms. The majority of outcome terms mapped to the Physiological/Clinical core area (62%), followed by the Life Impact (27%). Nearly half (45%) were reported in only a single trial each. Of 18 primary outcomes reported, 13 (72%) were each only reported in a single trial. “Depressive symptom severity”, reported in 30 trials (94%), was measured using 19 different outcome measurement instruments.
Conclusion
Heterogeneity exists in the outcomes and outcome measurement instruments used in adolescent depression trials. To enable reproducibility, comparison, and synthesis of trial results, a standard set of agreed upon outcomes and methods of measurement is needed.
Emma J Mew 1 , Andrea Monsour 1 , Leena Saeed 1 , Lucia Santos 1 , Sagar Patel 1 , Darren B Courtney 2 , Priya N Watson 2 , Peter Szatmari 3 , Martin Offringa 4 , Suneeta Monga 5 , Nancy J Butcher 1
1 Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;
2 Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;
3 Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;
4 Department of Psychiatry, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;
5 Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;
6 Division of Neonatology, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Disease Category: Mental health
Disease Name: Major depressive disorder (MDD)
Age Range: 12 - 18
Sex: Either
Nature of Intervention: Any
- None
- Systematic review of outcomes measured in trials
- Literature review
Three databases were searched to identify trials evaluating therapies for major depressive disorder in adolescents published from 2008-2017. Identified outcomes were thematically grouped and mapped into predefined outcome core areas (Physiological/Clinical, Life Impact, Resource Use, Adverse Events, and Death). Outcome heterogeneity was quantified using descriptive analyses.