We estimated the nationwide prevalence rate of antidepressant drug treatment in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients.
Very few studies exist on the frequency of antidepressant drug treatment in patients with PD.
Patients with a PD diagnosis at first hospital contact were identified and followed for up to 6 years. The subsequent probability of antidepressant drug treatment was estimated and compared to a control group of patients with osteoarthritis.
The probability of antidepressant drug treatment was 3.98 [95% CI: 3.23-4.91) times higher for PD patients than for controls.
Patients with PD have higher rates of actual antidepressant drug treatment than a control group with osteoarthritis. Still, however, undertreatment of depressive states may be the case.