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Publications

Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Epublish 2 citations

PubMed: 37340474 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-023-02877-9

Antidepressant drug prescription and incidence of COVID-19 in mental health outpatients: a retrospective cohort study.

BMC Med 21(1):209

Authors: Oleg O Glebov, Christoph Mueller, Robert Stewart, Dag Aarsland, Gayan Perera

Affiliations

  • Institute of Neuroregeneration and Neurorehabilitation, Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Shandong, China.
  • Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
  • Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
  • South London and Maudsley National Health Service Foundation Trust, London, UK.
  • Centre for Age-Related Research, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway.

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Currently, the main pharmaceutical intervention for COVID-19 is vaccination. While antidepressant (AD) drugs have shown some efficacy in treatment of symptomatic COVID-19, their preventative potential remains largely unexplored. Analysis of association between prescription of ADs and COVID-19 incidence in the population would be beneficial for assessing the utility of ADs in COVID-19 prevention.

METHODS

Retrospective study of association between AD prescription and COVID-19 diagnosis was performed in a cohort of community-dwelling adult mental health outpatients during the 1st wave of COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. Clinical record interactive search (CRIS) was performed for mentions of ADs within 3 months preceding admission to inpatient care of the South London and Maudsley (SLaM) NHS Foundation Trust. Incidence of positive COVID-19 tests upon admission and during inpatient treatment was the primary outcome measure.

RESULTS

AD mention was associated with approximately 40% lower incidence of positive COVID-19 test results when adjusted for socioeconomic parameters and physical health. This association was also observed for prescription of ADs of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class.

CONCLUSIONS

This preliminary study suggests that ADs, and SSRIs in particular, may be of benefit for preventing COVID-19 infection spread in the community. The key limitations of the study are its retrospective nature and the focus on a mental health patient cohort. A more definitive assessment of AD and SSRI preventative potential warrants prospective studies in the wider demographic.

MeSH

Antidepressive Agents, Incidence, Drug Prescriptions, Pharmaceutical Preparations, Cohort Studies, Prescriptions, Covid-19, Therapeutics, Outpatients, Prescription Drugs, Mental Health

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