Remission Rates, Time to Remission, and Related Factors in Adolescents with Major Depressive Disorder

Objective: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common disorder in children and adolescents that can cause serious morbidity and mortality. Although response rates to treatment are high, less than half of the adolescents with MDD achieve remission. The present study aims to evaluate remission rates, time to remission, and the predictors of remission in adolescents with MDD. Methods: This study included 34 adolescents with MDD who were followed-up for a minimum period of 120days. The adolescents were assessed with the Clinic Global Impression Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Young Mania Rating Scale, Child Mania Rating Scale, and Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders at the baseline and at weeks 4, 8, and 12. Results: 67.6% of the adolescents had at least one comorbid diagnosis. The remission rate at week 12 was 735%. The mean time to remission was 72.0days. The female adolescents achieved a significantly higher remission rate than the males. Conclusion: The majority of adolescents achieved remission following acute treatment, and that the time to remission for the female adolescents was shorter compared with the males. Remission time does seem neither to be related to the number of medications prescribed nor to the number of comorbid diagnoses.