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Treatment-resistant late-life depression prevalence and clinical/sociodemographic correlates: An electronic health records study
Beatriz Pozuelo Moyano, Vasiliki Orgeta, Armin von Gunten, Pierre Vandel, Ruimin Ma, Robert Stewart, Christoph Mueller. Journal of affective disorders, 2025-04-01
Topic: Health services, long-term care and technology
Of 8171 patients with late-life depression, 1443 (17.7 %) had TRLLD. Amongst those with severe, psychotic or recurrent depression the prevalence of TRLLD was 30.7 %, 31.4 % and 27.0 % respectively. Female sex, recurrent, severe, or psychotic depression and higher self-harm risk were associated with higher odds of TRLLD after adjustment for demographics (Adjusted Odds ratio (aOR): 1.36, 2.05, 2.34, 2.21 and 1.30 respectively). Older age, Black ethnicity, cognitive impairment and difficulties in activities of daily living were associated with a lower likelihood of TRLLD (aOR: 0.97, 0.65, 0.71 and 0.76 respectively). Several physical conditions examined were associated with increased odds for TRLLD, the strongest association was with hypertension (aOR: 2.20). This is the first large-scale study examining the socio-demographic data as well as psychiatric and physical comorbidities in TRLLD without known dementia. Prevention and management of multi-morbidity should be considered in primary or secondary prevention of treatment-resistant depression.
Key findings
- Of 8171 patients with late-life depression, 1443 (17.7 %) had TRLLD.
- Amongst those with severe, psychotic or recurrent depression the prevalence of TRLLD was 30.7 %, 31.4 % and 27.0 % respectively.
- Female sex, recurrent, severe, or psychotic depression and higher self-harm risk were associated with higher odds of TRLLD after adjustment for demographics (Adjusted Odds ratio (aOR): 1.36, 2.05, 2.34, 2.21 and 1.30 respectively).
- Older age, Black ethnicity, cognitive impairment and difficulties in activities of daily living were associated with a lower likelihood of TRLLD (aOR: 0.97, 0.65, 0.71 and 0.76 respectively).
- Several physical conditions examined were associated with increased odds for TRLLD, the strongest association was with hypertension (aOR: 2.20).
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Study details
- Study designcohort study
- Participants8,171
- Effect sizeaOR: 0.97; aOR: 2.20
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 75/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a cohort study following people over time. Scored zero for randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record, multi-centre collaboration and free to read, so those were left out: it earned 42 of the 56 points we could judge it on, which is 75 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of affective disorders) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A cohort study following people over time |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 8,171 participants |
| Effect reported | 3 / 3 | Effect reported with a statistic (interval, p-value, ratio or similar) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40174785) |
| Free to read | — / 2 | Access not recorded — left out of this score |
| Points | 42 / 56 | Scored on 10 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 42 of the 56 points we could judge it on is 75 out of 100. |
| Total | 75 / 100 | — |
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Moyano, B. P., Orgeta, V., von Gunten, A., Vandel, P., Ma, R., Stewart, R., et al. (2025). Treatment-resistant late-life depression prevalence and clinical/sociodemographic correlates: An electronic health records study. Journal of affective disorders. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.03.169
Vancouver
Moyano BP, Orgeta V, von Gunten A, Vandel P, Ma R, Stewart R, et al. Treatment-resistant late-life depression prevalence and clinical/sociodemographic correlates: An electronic health records study. Journal of affective disorders. 2025. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2025.03.169. PMID: 40174785.
BibTeX
@article{moyano2025-40174785,
author = {Moyano, Beatriz Pozuelo and Orgeta, Vasiliki and von Gunten, Armin and Vandel, Pierre and Ma, Ruimin and Stewart, Robert and Mueller, Christoph},
title = {{Treatment-resistant late-life depression prevalence and clinical/sociodemographic correlates: An electronic health records study}},
journal = {Journal of affective disorders},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1016/j.jad.2025.03.169},
pmid = {40174785},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.03.169}
}