Psychiatric Pharmacoepidemiology (Psych-PE)
Project 1: Psychotropic Drug Use Pattern in Mood, Anxiety, and Related Disorders
Mood, anxiety, and related disorders affect about 10% of Canadians, impacting their mental, physical, and social health. These disorders lead to significant economic costs due to healthcare use and lost productivity. In the last twenty years, more people in developed countries have been prescribed antidepressants. This increase is due to the growing number of people with these disorders, better awareness of treatment benefits, and more accessible medications. Around half of those diagnosed experience a significant improvement in their symptoms with first-line antidepressants, but only about 30% fully recover. Even though we have strong evidence that antidepressants can be effective and safe, many people struggle to persist with their treatment. There is also limited guidance on how to choose the best treatment for each individual, which often results in a long "trial-and-error" process. Recently, a new tool that uses pharmacogenomics, the study of how our genes affect how we respond to medications, has started to be used in psychiatry practice. Currently, thirteen antidepressants have recommendations based on pharmacogenomics from expert groups. However, we don’t know how often these medications are prescribed in Manitoba. This research study will examine administrative health data from the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy. We will identify all residents who started taking an antidepressant and see how many persisted, switched, combined, or adjusted their treatment within one year of their first prescription.
OBJECTIVES
This study has been approved by the University of Manitoba Health Research Ethics Board (HREB) (HS25792 (H2022:395)) and the Provincial Health Research Privacy Committee (PHRPC No. P2022-137).
Mood, anxiety, and related disorders affect about 10% of Canadians, impacting their mental, physical, and social health. These disorders lead to significant economic costs due to healthcare use and lost productivity. In the last twenty years, more people in developed countries have been prescribed antidepressants. This increase is due to the growing number of people with these disorders, better awareness of treatment benefits, and more accessible medications. Around half of those diagnosed experience a significant improvement in their symptoms with first-line antidepressants, but only about 30% fully recover. Even though we have strong evidence that antidepressants can be effective and safe, many people struggle to persist with their treatment. There is also limited guidance on how to choose the best treatment for each individual, which often results in a long "trial-and-error" process. Recently, a new tool that uses pharmacogenomics, the study of how our genes affect how we respond to medications, has started to be used in psychiatry practice. Currently, thirteen antidepressants have recommendations based on pharmacogenomics from expert groups. However, we don’t know how often these medications are prescribed in Manitoba. This research study will examine administrative health data from the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy. We will identify all residents who started taking an antidepressant and see how many persisted, switched, combined, or adjusted their treatment within one year of their first prescription.
OBJECTIVES
- To determine the pattern of antidepressant usage in Manitoba by sex, age, and region of residence of the recipients.
- To determine the usage of antidepressants with pharmacogenomics-based recommendations and to estimate the proportion of individuals that carry an actionable genotype.
- To determine the persistence of antidepressant therapy at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of their first antidepressant prescription.
- To determine the pattern of switching, combining, and augmenting antidepressants within the first year of receiving the first antidepressant prescription.
This study has been approved by the University of Manitoba Health Research Ethics Board (HREB) (HS25792 (H2022:395)) and the Provincial Health Research Privacy Committee (PHRPC No. P2022-137).
Team:
Dr. Christine Leong - Principle Investigator (UM Pharmacy)
Dr. Abdullah Al Maruf - Co-Investigator (UM Pharmacy)
Md. Abdul Aziz - PhD Student (UM Pharmacy)
Dr. Christine Leong - Principle Investigator (UM Pharmacy)
Dr. Abdullah Al Maruf - Co-Investigator (UM Pharmacy)
Md. Abdul Aziz - PhD Student (UM Pharmacy)
Funding Sources:
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Research Outputs:
Aziz MA, Maruf AA & Leong C. (2025). Describing Antidepressant Persistence in Mood and/or Anxiety Disorders: A Retrospective Observational Study Using Administrative Claims Data in Manitoba. 2nd Annual PRIME Research Conference, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, January 13-14, 2025 [Poster].
Aziz MA, Maruf AA & Leong C. (2024). Utilization of Antidepressants in Mood and Anxiety Disorders, and the Role of Pharmacogenomics: A Population-based Cohort Study. 2024 Pharmacist Manitoba Conference, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Apr 20-21 [Poster].
Aziz MA, Maruf AA, Leong C. (2024). Predicting Antidepressant Persistence in Mood and/or Anxiety Disorders: Insights from Administrative Claims Data in Manitoba. 2024 College of Pharmacy Research Day, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Mar 14, 2024 [Poster].
Aziz MA, Maruf AA & Leong C. (2025). Describing Antidepressant Persistence in Mood and/or Anxiety Disorders: A Retrospective Observational Study Using Administrative Claims Data in Manitoba. 2nd Annual PRIME Research Conference, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, January 13-14, 2025 [Poster].
Aziz MA, Maruf AA & Leong C. (2024). Utilization of Antidepressants in Mood and Anxiety Disorders, and the Role of Pharmacogenomics: A Population-based Cohort Study. 2024 Pharmacist Manitoba Conference, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Apr 20-21 [Poster].
Aziz MA, Maruf AA, Leong C. (2024). Predicting Antidepressant Persistence in Mood and/or Anxiety Disorders: Insights from Administrative Claims Data in Manitoba. 2024 College of Pharmacy Research Day, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Mar 14, 2024 [Poster].