Data for: Lower efficacy of the first line treatment of major depressive disorder: Is the periodontitis one of the important links which we overlooked? A Short Communication

TITLE OF THE STUDY: Lower efficacy of the first line treatment of major depressive disorder: Is the periodontitis one of the important links which we overlooked? A Short Communication Background: The efficacy of antidepressants is not satisfactory in up to one-third of patients. The objective of the study was to assess the association of periodontal status with the outcome of three-month-treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) of a major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods: We performed the prospective cohort study during 2018 at Psychiatric Hospital “Sveti Ivan,” Croatia, on a consecutive sample of 43 patients diagnosed with MDD and treated with SSRI for three months. The outcome was the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 (HAM-D17) total score. The periodontal status was indicated by the clinical attachment loss (CAL) which is the most frequent measure of periodontal tissue health. Results: Baseline periodontal status had a nonlinear significant and clinically relevant association with the MDD treatment outcome. In patients with good baseline periodontal status, the HAM-D17 score was significantly improved after the three months of treatment with SSRI. When the value of CAL was ≥4.44 mm indicating the worse periodontal status, further increase in baseline CAL was associated with the worsening of MDD treatment outcomes independently of the depression severity and eight sociodemographic and clinical predictors of MDD treatment outcomes. Limitations: Lower sample size forced us to use the HAM-D total score although the scale is not unidimensional and understanding of MDD as the unique syndrome is questionable. Conclusions: It seems that the outcome of MDD treatment with SSRI is associated with the patients’ periodontal status. Periodontal healthcare is accessible, and we have to utilize it in the integrative, multidisciplinary approach. Key Words: major depressive disorder; treatment efficacy; medical comorbidity; selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors; oral health; clinical attachment loss