We're sorry. This study is closed and no longer recruiting participants.
STUDY BASICS
Is an older adult (ages 60 and up) in your life currently depressed? Is this person taking an antidepressant medication but not feeling any better? If so, he or she may be able to participate in a research study to help find out which antidepressants are safest and most effective for older adults with difficult-to-treat depression. Depressed older adult must contact Pitt+Me.
STUDY PURPOSE
Many older adults struggle with depression, but antidepressant medications often fail to resolve their symptoms. Symptoms of depression can include feeling sad or hopeless, feeling tired or not having energy, having changes in appetite or activity, having trouble sleeping, and others. Unfortunately, depression that is difficult to treat can lead to decreased quality of life, physical health and memory problems, and even suicide. Researchers think that age-related changes to the brain and body may make antidepressants work differently in older adults than they do in younger people, but more information is needed. The purpose of this study is to help researchers determine which antidepressant medications are the safest and most effective in older adults with difficult-to-treat depression. All of the antidepressant medications used in this study are FDA approved. The research team will work with the participant’s primary care physician or community psychiatrist to discuss which medication is being recommended. Participants and their doctors can decide whether or not to follow the recommendations.COULD THIS STUDY BE RIGHT FOR YOU?
- Have a depressed older adult in your life who is age 60 or older
- Depressed older adult has taken 2 or more antidepressant drugs for at least 4 weeks each and is still feeling depressed
WHAT PARTICIPANTS CAN EXPECT
Participation lasts approximately 18 months. After an initial phone screening, research team will get in touch with the participant’s primary care physician (PCP) or community psychiatrist to ensure that they are willing to collaborate with the research psychiatrist throughout the study. For qualified participants, the study has three steps: During step 1, participants will be randomly assigned (like drawing straws) to receive one of three study medications for 10 weeks. Some participants will add a medication to their current antidepressant medication, and some will replace their current antidepressant medication. Research staff will call patients every 2 weeks to ask about any continued symptoms or side effects. During step 2, if the participant’s depression symptoms have not gone away, they will again be randomly assigned to receive one of two study medications for 10 weeks. Some participants will add a medication to their current antidepressant medication, and some will replace their current antidepressant medication. Research staff will call patients every 2 weeks to ask about any continued symptoms or side effects. During step 3, participants will be contacted by phone every 4 months and asked to complete questionnaires. These assessments will take about an hour. If depression symptoms went away during step 1 or step 2, research staff will maintain contact by phone over the course of the next year to monitor how the participant is feeling.IRB: STUDY19080270B
- Optimizing Outcomes of Treatment-Resistant Depression in Older Adults (OPTIMUM)MEET THE RESEARCHER
Jordan Karp
Jordan F. Karp, MD, is Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Anesthesiology, and Clinical and Translation Science at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Karp is an active researcher and teacher, with a particular passion for helping aging populations deal with depression.