Poster
59
(#59) Characteristics and Clinical Outcomes of Patients with Treatment-Resistant Depression Completing Esketamine Intranasal Spray Induction Phase in the Veterans Health Administration
Psych Congress 2025
Abstract: Introduction: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is common among US veterans. Esketamine is an intranasal spray approved for treatment-resistant depression (TRD).
Objective: To describe patient characteristics and clinical outcomes among veterans with TRD who completed esketamine induction phase.
Methods: Veterans with evidence of TRD (initiating a third unique antidepressant within 12 months) were identified from the Veterans Health Administration data (03/05/2018-01/17/2025). Patients who newly initiated esketamine (index) on/after 03/05/2019, had ≥3 months follow-up, completed induction phase (≥8 sessions), and had scores for 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) at index and within a week of induction phase completion were selected. Patient characteristics and PHQ-9 scores at index and induction phase completion were analyzed.
Results: Of 80 patients included (mean [SD] age, 47.2 [12.9] years; 66 (82.5%) male; 57 (71.3%) White), 33 (41.3%) patients had a diagnosis for severe MDD at index. The mean (SD) PHQ-9 score was 18.8 (5.6) at index and 13.2 (6.4) within a week of induction phase completion, with the largest percentage reduction observed for items indicating suicide ideation (42.2%), moving or speaking slowly (40.2%), feeling bad about yourself (33.5%), and feeling depressed/hopeless (32.0%).
Conclusion: More than 40% of veterans completing esketamine induction phase and with PHQ-9 assessments had severe MDD at esketamine initiation. Overall depression severity and symptoms, especially suicide ideation and psychomotor retardation, were notably improved following completion of induction phase of 28 days.
Short Description: This retrospective database study analyzed the Veterans Health Administration data to describe characteristics and clinical outcomes among US veterans with TRD completing esketamine intranasal spray induction phase. More than 40% of veterans had a severe depression diagnosis at baseline. Reduced depression severity and symptoms, especially suicide ideation and psychomotor retardation, as assessed by the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire were observed after completing induction phase with esketamine.
Name of Sponsoring Organization(s): Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC, a Johnson & Johnson company
Objective: To describe patient characteristics and clinical outcomes among veterans with TRD who completed esketamine induction phase.
Methods: Veterans with evidence of TRD (initiating a third unique antidepressant within 12 months) were identified from the Veterans Health Administration data (03/05/2018-01/17/2025). Patients who newly initiated esketamine (index) on/after 03/05/2019, had ≥3 months follow-up, completed induction phase (≥8 sessions), and had scores for 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) at index and within a week of induction phase completion were selected. Patient characteristics and PHQ-9 scores at index and induction phase completion were analyzed.
Results: Of 80 patients included (mean [SD] age, 47.2 [12.9] years; 66 (82.5%) male; 57 (71.3%) White), 33 (41.3%) patients had a diagnosis for severe MDD at index. The mean (SD) PHQ-9 score was 18.8 (5.6) at index and 13.2 (6.4) within a week of induction phase completion, with the largest percentage reduction observed for items indicating suicide ideation (42.2%), moving or speaking slowly (40.2%), feeling bad about yourself (33.5%), and feeling depressed/hopeless (32.0%).
Conclusion: More than 40% of veterans completing esketamine induction phase and with PHQ-9 assessments had severe MDD at esketamine initiation. Overall depression severity and symptoms, especially suicide ideation and psychomotor retardation, were notably improved following completion of induction phase of 28 days.
Short Description: This retrospective database study analyzed the Veterans Health Administration data to describe characteristics and clinical outcomes among US veterans with TRD completing esketamine intranasal spray induction phase. More than 40% of veterans had a severe depression diagnosis at baseline. Reduced depression severity and symptoms, especially suicide ideation and psychomotor retardation, as assessed by the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire were observed after completing induction phase with esketamine.
Name of Sponsoring Organization(s): Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC, a Johnson & Johnson company
