Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment (Nov 2024)

Anhedonia in Major Depressive Disorder: Prevalence and Treatment Expectations and Satisfaction with Treatment Goals Among Patients and Physicians in Asia-Pacific

  • Herr K,
  • Berk M,
  • Huang WL,
  • Kato T,
  • Lee JG,
  • Ng CG,
  • Wang Z,
  • Webb TD,
  • Kasahara-Kiritani M,
  • Vandervoort LP

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 20
pp. 2177 – 2191

Abstract

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Keira Herr,1 Michael Berk,2 Wei-Lieh Huang,3 Tadafumi Kato,4 Jung Goo Lee,5,6 Chong Guan Ng,7 Zhen Wang,8 Thomas David Webb,1 Mami Kasahara-Kiritani,9 Lawrence Phillip Vandervoort10 1Janssen Asia Pacific, Singapore; 2School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia; 3Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch, Yunlin County, Taiwan; 4Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; 5Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Haeundae Paik Hospital, Inje University, Busan, Republic of Korea; 6Paik Institute for Clinical Research, Inje University, Busan, Republic of Korea; 7Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 8Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 9Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K., Tokyo, Japan; 10Oracle Life Sciences, SingaporeCorrespondence: Keira Herr, Janssen Asia Pacific, 2 Science Park Drive, Singapore Science Park 1, Ascent, #07-13, 118222, Singapore, Email [email protected]: To explore the prevalence of anhedonia (ANH) in major depressive disorder (MDD) and treatment expectation and satisfaction among patients with MDD and physicians in the Asia-Pacific region.Methods: This cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted in April-May 2023 among physicians and individuals aged ≥ 18 years with self-reported physician diagnosis of MDD (9-item Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-9] score ≥ 10) further stratified by anhedonia as measured by the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS): MDD-ANH (SHAPS score > 2) and MDD non-ANH (SHAPS score ≤ 2). The study assessed the prevalence of anhedonia in MDD as well as the perspectives on the treatment of anhedonia in MDD in terms of expectations and satisfaction among patients and physicians.Results: The regional estimated prevalence of MDD was 16.1% where 52.5% of MDD respondents had ANH (SHAPS score ≥ 2). Depressed mood, mental changes, and changes in sleeping patterns prompted MDD-ANH (n = 1448) or MDD non-ANH (n = 836) respondents to seek medical consultation. Respondents with MDD-ANH (vs MDD non-ANH) reported significantly higher levels of depression and anhedonia, longer treatment duration, and preferred switching their existing medications over adding additional medications (all, p < 0.001). Over half of physicians (55.0%) were not treating anhedonia separately. Anhedonia-specific treatment goals seemed important to all respondents, while avoiding suicidal ideation was significantly important to physicians. MDD-ANH respondents reported in general the lowest level of satisfaction with treatment goals than MDD non-ANH and physician, with “improvements in sexual satisfaction” being the treatment goal with the lowest level of satisfaction.Conclusion: This first large-scale study conducted across the Asia-Pacific region provides a recent update on the prevalence of MDD and anhedonia in MDD and highlights unmet needs in the current therapeutic landscape for anhedonia in MDD, emphasizing the need for novel treatment.Keywords: anhedonia, apathy, depression, emotional blunting, epidemiology, prevalence, treatment goals

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