Study of Pharmacotherapy of Psychotic Depression (STOP-PD)

Effectiveness of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors Combined With Antipsychotic Medication for the Treatment of Psychotic Depression

This study will determine the effectiveness of combining selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) with antipsychotic medications in the treatment of psychotic depression.

Approximately 25% of people who are admitted to hospitals for depression suffer from psychotic depression. People with psychotic depression experience hallucinations,and, more commonly delusions, in addition to major depression. Psychotic experiences may be either congruent with the theme of depression or incongruent, without an apparent relationship to feeling depressed. This study will determine the effectiveness of combining a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) with antipsychotic medication in the treatment of psychotic depression accompanied by at least one identifiable delusion. The study will also evaluate the difference in treatment response of young adults versus geriatric patients. This double-blind study will last a total of 12 weeks. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either olanzapine, an atypical antipsychotic drug, combined with sertraline, an SSRI, or olanzapine alone. Following baseline assessments, study visits will occur weekly until Week 6, and then bi-weekly until Week 12. Participants who do not respond to either treatment may leave the study at any time. Participants who achieve either partial or full response may participate in an additional 20-week study.

Major depressive disorder with psychotic features, Delusional Depression, Randomized Trial, Combination Treatment, SSRI, Atypical Antipsychotic

Remission of Depression Hamilton Depression Scale (Ham-D) and Psychosis Schedule for Affective Disorders in Schizophrenia - Delusional Item (SADS) During the Course of the Trial

Remission was defined as scores on Ham-D of less than 10 at two consecutive assessments and the absence of delusions (measured as SADS delusional item scores of 1) at the second assessment of the two-assessment remission of depression interval. Scores on Ham-D range from 0 to 52 with higher scores indicating more severe depression. Scores on SADS range from 1 to 7 with higher scores indicating the delusions(s) more adversely effect the subject's behavior.

A measure of overall symptom severity, the Clinical Global Impressions, Severity of Illness Scale (CGI-S). It is a seven point scale with a one indicating not at all ill, and seven indicating the most extremely ill. This rating was done each week after baseline by the PI at each site after visiting with the patient.

The Ham-D measures depression severity. Scores on Ham-D range from 0 to 52 with higher scores indicating more severe depression.

Inclusion Criteria: Major depressive disorder, single or recurrent, with psychotic features Exclusion Criteria: History of substance abuse or dependence within the 3 months prior to enrollment Acute or unstable medical illness Diagnosis of schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders Pregnant Intolerance to SSRIs or olanzapine

Kruizinga J, Liemburg E, Burger H, Cipriani A, Geddes J, Robertson L, Vogelaar B, Nolen WA. Pharmacological treatment for psychotic depression. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021 Dec 7;12(12):CD004044. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004044.pub5.

Bingham KS, Meyers BS, Mulsant BH, Rothschild AJ, Whyte EM, Banerjee S, Artis AS, Alexopoulos GS, Flint AJ; STOP-PD Study Group. Stabilization treatment of remitted psychotic depression: the STOP-PD study. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2018 Sep;138(3):267-273. doi: 10.1111/acps.12937. Epub 2018 Jun 29.

Bingham KS, Rothschild AJ, Mulsant BH, Whyte EM, Meyers BS, Banerjee S, Szanto K, Flint AJ; STOP-PD Study Group. The Association of Baseline Suicidality With Treatment Outcome in Psychotic Depression. J Clin Psychiatry. 2017 Sep/Oct;78(8):1149-1154. doi: 10.4088/JCP.16m10881.

Gerretsen P, Flint AJ, Whyte EM, Rothschild AJ, Meyers BS, Mulsant BH. Impaired insight into delusions predicts treatment outcome during a randomized controlled trial for Psychotic Depression (STOP-PD study). J Clin Psychiatry. 2015 Apr;76(4):427-33. doi: 10.4088/JCP.14m09003.

Deligiannidis KM, Rothschild AJ, Barton BA, Kroll-Desrosiers AR, Meyers BS, Flint AJ, Whyte EM, Mulsant BH; STOP-PD Study Group. A gender analysis of the study of pharmacotherapy of psychotic depression (STOP-PD): gender and age as predictors of response and treatment-associated changes in body mass index and metabolic measures. J Clin Psychiatry. 2013 Oct;74(10):1003-9. doi: 10.4088/JCP.13m08400.

Ostergaard SD, Meyers BS, Flint AJ, Mulsant BH, Whyte EM, Ulbricht CM, Bech P, Rothschild AJ; STOP-PD Study Group. Measuring psychotic depression. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2014 Mar;129(3):211-20. doi: 10.1111/acps.12165. Epub 2013 Jun 25.

Flint AJ, Iaboni A, Mulsant BH, Rothschild AJ, Whyte EM, Meyers BS; STOP-PD Study Group. Effect of sertraline on risk of falling in older adults with psychotic depression on olanzapine: results of a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2014 Apr;22(4):332-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jagp.2013.01.067. Epub 2013 May 2.

Blumberger DM, Mulsant BH, Kanellopoulos D, Whyte EM, Rothschild AJ, Flint AJ, Meyers BS. The incidence of tardive dyskinesia in the study of pharmacotherapy for psychotic depression. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2013 Jun;33(3):391-7. doi: 10.1097/JCP.0b013e31828bf059.

Weissman J, Flint A, Meyers B, Ghosh S, Mulsant B, Rothschild A, Whyte E; STOP-PD Study Group. Factors associated with non-completion in a double-blind randomized controlled trial of olanzapine plus sertraline versus olanzapine plus placebo for psychotic depression. Psychiatry Res. 2012 May 30;197(3):221-6. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2012.02.015. Epub 2012 Mar 31.

Meyers BS, Flint AJ, Rothschild AJ, Mulsant BH, Whyte EM, Peasley-Miklus C, Papademetriou E, Leon AC, Heo M; STOP-PD Group. A double-blind randomized controlled trial of olanzapine plus sertraline vs olanzapine plus placebo for psychotic depression: the study of pharmacotherapy of psychotic depression (STOP-PD). Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2009 Aug;66(8):838-47. doi: 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2009.79. Erratum In: Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2011 Jun;68(6):626.

Schaffer A, Flint AJ, Smith E, Rothschild AJ, Mulsant BH, Szanto K, Peasley-Miklus C, Heo M, Papademetriou E, Meyers BS. Correlates of suicidality among patients with psychotic depression. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2008 Aug;38(4):403-14. doi: 10.1521/suli.2008.38.4.403.

Smith E, Rothschild AJ, Heo M, Peasley-Miklus C, Caswell M, Papademetriou E, Flint AJ, Mulsant BH, Meyers BS; STOP-PD Collaborative Study Group. Weight gain during olanzapine treatment for psychotic depression: effects of dose and age. Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 2008 May;23(3):130-7. doi: 10.1097/YIC.0b013e3282f424d6.

Rothschild AJ, Winer J, Flint AJ, Mulsant BH, Whyte EM, Heo M, Fratoni S, Gabriele M, Kasapinovic S, Meyers BS; Study of Pharmacotherapy of Psychotic Depression (STOP-PD) Collaborative Study Group. Missed diagnosis of psychotic depression at 4 academic medical centers. J Clin Psychiatry. 2008 Aug;69(8):1293-6. doi: 10.4088/jcp.v69n0813.

Andreescu C, Mulsant BH, Peasley-Miklus C, Rothschild AJ, Flint AJ, Heo M, Caswell M, Whyte EM, Meyers BS; STOP-PD Study Group. Persisting low use of antipsychotics in the treatment of major depressive disorder with psychotic features. J Clin Psychiatry. 2007 Feb;68(2):194-200. doi: 10.4088/jcp.v68n0203.