Effects of recognizing depression with a standardized questionnaire (CES-D) versus patient reporting of depression after a single-standardized question on the outcomes of treatment for hepatitis C with pegylated interferon-α-2b and ribavirin

Background: Depression may worsen during antiviral treatment for hepatitis C virus, resulting in noncompliance treatment. AIM: The aim was to compare the response and compliance rates between the groups of veteran patients using two different methods of identifying depression, either the Centers for Epidemiology Studies for Depression Scale (group A) questionnaire or the report of symptoms of depression after a single-standardized question by the health care provider (group B). Methods: One hundred and twenty-nine patients were randomly assigned to the two groups before the treatment. Results: No statistical differences were noted in baseline characteristics between the groups. Depression was common in both the groups. No difference between initial Centers for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale scores and diagnosis of depression between the two groups was noted. Furthermore, the number of patients diagnosed with depression during the treatment was similar in each group. There were no significant differences between the groups in rates of sustained viral response (30% group A, 35% group B) or in rates of overall compliance with patients receiving more than 90% of prescribed PegIntronA therapy (44% group A, 39% group B), and ribavirin (32% group A and 37% group B). Conclusion: The use of the Centers for Epidemiology Studies for Depression Scale questionnaire to recognize depression had no significant advantage over patient reporting of depression symptoms after a single-standardized question on the hepatitis C virus clearance and the treatment compliance rates in veteran populations.