Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30547766›Full record

Trial reportBMC family practice2018

The value of an embedded qualitative study in a trial of a second antidepressant for people who had not responded to one antidepressant: understanding the perspectives of patients and general practitioners.

Carolyn A Chew-Graham, Thomas Shepherd, Heather Burroughs, Katie Dixon, David Kessler

Open access · goldAbstract readMulticenter StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC family practice, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 28% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Carolyn A Chew-GrahamResearch Institute, Primary Care and Health Sciences, Keele University, Newcastle, Staffs, ST5 5BG, UK. c.a.chew-graham@keele.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0002-9722-9981
Thomas ShepherdResearch Institute, Primary Care and Health Sciences, Keele University, Newcastle, Staffs, ST5 5BG, UK.
Heather BurroughsResearch Institute, Primary Care and Health Sciences, Keele University, Newcastle, Staffs, ST5 5BG, UK.
Katie DixonResearch Institute, Primary Care and Health Sciences, Keele University, Newcastle, Staffs, ST5 5BG, UK.
David KesslerCentre for Academic Primary Care, Oakfield House, Oakfield Grove, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK.
Keele University · GBClifton Hospital · GB

Funding

Department of Health 11/129/76
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDepression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, and is a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease. The number of prescriptions for antidepressants has risen dramatically in recent years yet up to 50% of patients who are treated for depression with antidepressants do not report feeling better as a result of treatment, and do not show the desired improvement on depression measures. We report a qualitative study embedded in a trial of second antidepressant for people who had not responded to one antidepressant, exploring the acceptability of a combination of antidepressants from the perspectives of both patients and practitioners, together with experiences of participating in a clinical trial.

methodsA qualitative study embedded in a randomized controlled trial investigating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of combining mirtazapine with Serotonin-Noradrenaline Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI) or Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants versus SNRI or SSRI therapy alone (the MIR trial). 59 interviews were conducted with people who declined to participate in the trial, people who completed the study and people who withdrew from the intervention, and 16 general practitioners.

resultsAcross the data-sets, four main themes were identified: the hard work of managing depression, uncertainties over the value of a second antidepressant, help-seeking at a point of crisis, and attainment and maintenance of a hard-won equilibrium.

conclusionsExploring reasons for declining to participate in a trial of a second antidepressant in people who had not responded to one antidepressant suggests that people who are already taking one antidepressant may be reluctant to take a second, being wary of possible side-effects, but also being unconvinced of the logic behind such a combination. In addition, people describe being in a state of equilibrium and reluctant to make a change, reflecting that this equilibrium is 'hard-won' and they are unwilling to risk disturbing this. This makes some people reluctant to enrol in a clinical trial. Understanding a patient's view on medication is important for GPs when discussing antidepressants.

trial registrationMIR Trial Registration: ISRCTN 06653773 .

Indexed as

Drug MonitoringQualitative ResearchAdultAgedAntidepressive AgentsDepressionFemaleGeneral PracticeGeneral PractitionersHumansMaleMiddle AgedSurveys and QuestionnairesAntidepressive AgentsAntidepressantsdepressionPrimary careQualitative methods

Identifiers

PMID30547766
PMCPMC6293563
OpenAlexW2905496968

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.