Abstract

ASSESSMENT OF EFFICACY, SAFETY AND ADHERENCE OF TRICYCLIC ANTIDEPRESSANTS (TCAs) IN PATIENTS WITH ANXIETY DISORDERS

Arya Alocious*, D. Saranya Shanmugapria, Abu Aleem, Elias George and Arya Jayakumar

ABSTRACT

Anxiety disorders are a group of mental disorders characterized by significant feelings of anxiety and fear. Anxiety disorders are caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness and safety of TCAs and its adherence in anxiety patients. The study included patients of both genders, above 18 years of age who are diagnosed with anxiety disorders and are on tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) treatment with regular follow up. Patients who were under the age of 18, pregnant women and patients without regular follow up were excluded from the study. Based on inclusion criteria, 50 patients were included in the study after getting consent. Data collection was carried out by face-to-face interview with the patients and through prescription-case analysis. The information collected included demographic data, drugs prescribed and the type of disease present. The effectiveness of TCAs was assessed by HAD scale. The medication adherence was assessed by MMAS-8 scale. It was discovered that 98% of individual had severe anxiety using HAD scale and statistically there was a significant difference in the mean HAD score before and after treatment at 0.05 level of significance. Post treatment reviews showed that 80% of the subjects had no side effects which implied that the drug was safe. It was also found that 48% of individuals did not adhere to the treatment plan since they felt better. This study stresses the clinical need for taking necessary steps toward minimizing poor outcomes related to lack of compliance in drug therapy.

Keywords: Anxiety disorders, Medication adherence, Tricyclic antidepressants, Hospital anxiety and depression scale (HAD), Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8).