SELF-REPORTED DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS FOLLOWING TREATMENT WITH CORTICOSTEROIDS AND SEDATIVE-HYPNOTICS

Objective: To evaluate associations between exposure to corticosteroid s or sedative-hypnotic medications and incident self-reported depressi ve symptoms in medical inpatients. Method: The study utilized a prospe ctive cohort design, focusing on acute depressive symptoms developing soon after medication exposure. The incidence of self-reported depress ive symptoms was evaluated using a modified version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Rating Scale (CES-D). The incidence of depressive symptoms in subjects newly exposed to corticosteroids a nd sedative-hypnotics was compared to that of a nonexposed comparison cohort. Results: The incidence of self-reported depressive symptoms wa s elevated in subjects newly exposed to corticosteroids (Risk Ratio = 3.10), although the association did not attain statistical significanc e (p = .07). The risk ratio for sedative-hypnotic exposure was 4.18, a statistically significant finding (p = .02). As expected, incident se lf-reported depressive symptoms were also associated with several psyc hosocial variables. However, the data did not suggest that the observe d associations between drug exposures and depressive symptoms were due to confounding by psychosocial or illness-related variables. Conclucs ions: Depressive symptoms among medical inpatients have a biopsychosoc ial etiology. Corticosteroids and sedative-hypnotics are biological ri sk factors for depressive symptoms in this population.