The objective of our study was to assess whether the initial antidepressant deliveries in France from 2017 to 2021 adhered to current guidelines regarding the types of antidepressants prescribed and the duration of treatment. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the French national health insurance database. Antidepressant prescriptions dispensed between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2023, were extracted. A gap in a sequence of antidepressant treatments was defined as an interval of more than 56 days between two successive dispensations. Guideline recommendations were generally followed for the choice of antidepressant class. However, only 27.5% of sequences had durations within the recommended range of 9 to 24 months. Introducing the continuity criterion reduces the proportion of sequences adhering to the recommendations to only 4.1%. These results align with existing literature, underscoring the need to encourage adherence to guidelines, particularly concerning treatment duration, to help prevent recurrence of depressive episodes. • National study of 6.7 M antidepressant treatment sequences in France (2017–2021). • 81% of initial prescriptions followed guideline-recommended antidepressant class. • Only 27.5% of sequences met recommended treatment duration (9–24 months). • 54% could be considered stopped too early. • Only 4.1% of sequences were both guideline-compliant and free of discontinuation.
Saint-Dizier et al. (Fri,) studied this question.