Comparative Effectiveness of Dual-Action versus Single-Action Antidepressants for the Treatment of Depression in People Living with HIV/AIDS

Abstract Background Depression is the most common psychiatric comorbidity among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Little is known about the comparative effectiveness between different types of antidepressants used to treat depression in this population. We compared the effectiveness of dual-action and single-action antidepressants in PLWHA for achieving remission from depression. Methods We used data from the Centers for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinic Systems to identify 1,175 new user dual-action or single-action antidepressant treatment episodes occurring from 2005–2014 for PLWHA diagnosed with depression. The primary outcome was remission from depression defined as a Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) score