A naturalistic study in the use of antidepressants in adults with learning disabilities and affective disorders

Abstract

Very few studies have been undertaken looking at the use of anti-depressants in adults with learning disabilities and, more recently, with the advent of SSRIs there has not been any study comparing the use of SSRIs with tricyclic drugs in this group. A naturalistic study involving adults with learning disabilities suffering from depressive illness was undertaken in Leicestershire that included 104 treatment episodes with tricyclic/tetracyclic groups of drugs and SSRIs and issues related to efficacy, tolerability, side-effects, polypharmacy and discontinuation rates were looked at. The study, despite its limitations, establishes for the first time that depressive illness in patients with learning disabilities does respond to antidepressant treatment in the same way as that of the general population. The findings suggest that SSRIs are better tolerated and present with fewer serious side effects when compared to tricyclic/ tetracyclic groups of drugs. The efficacy of both groups of drugs was found to be very similar. This study also highlights that SSRIs are reasonably safe to use in conjunction with drugs like Lithium and Carbamazepine.

Interventions for adults with mild intellectual disabilities and mental ill‐health: a systematic review

“…Table S4 presents results of the two studies of antidepressants. One compared tricyclics to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the other compared fluoxetine and paroxetine (Bhaumik et al 1995;Bhaumik & Wildgust 1996). None of the papers in Tables S3 and S4 addressed whether people with intellectual disabilities are more sensitive to psychotropic drugs, and if they require a different dosing regimen compared with the general population.…”

A Naturalistic Prospective Study of the Use of Fluoxetine in General Psychiatric Outpatients

“…The present study was the first of several naturalistic studies involving fluoxetine which were conducted by independent teams in a range of diagnoses and clinical situations but which follow the same or similar methodology (Bhaumik et al, 1994;Daly et al, 1994;McWilliam and Dover, 1994).…”

A Retrospective Audit of Selective Serotonin Re-Uptake Inhibitors (Fluoxetine and Paroxetine) for the Treatment of Depressive Episodes in Adults with Learning Disabilities

“…Prior to the current audit, a small naturalistic study involving adults with learning disabilities suffering from depressive illness was undertaken in Leicestershire, UK (Bhaumik et al, 1995). That study involved treatment with either tricyclic, tetracyclic or SSRI antidepressants, and issues related to efficacy, tolerability, side-effects, polypharmacy and discontinuation rates were looked at.…”