COMPARISON OF THE EFFICACY OF SERTRALINE AND MIRTAZAPINE FOR TREATING THE DEPRESSION IN PATIENT WITH HEPATITIS C: RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRAIL

Abstract

Background Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the most common blood-borne pathogen and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Infection with HCV is a major public health problem worldwide. Depression is a common mental illness; it is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Very few studies are available to see the efficacy of antidepressant therapy in hepatitis C population, so this study was planned. Objective: To compare the efficacy of Sertraline and Mirtazapine for treating the depression in patient with Hepatitis C. Material & Method: This randomized control trial was carried out at hepatic clinic, Lahore General Hospital Lahore and Jinnah hospital Lahore. The study duration was 12 months after approval of synopsis. After meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria and demographic detail were noted. The depression was diagnosed based on DSM-V and severity was evaluated by using HAM-D at the base line, with regular follow up at 4th, 8th, and 12th treatment weeks. Patients were divided into groups; drugs were allocated randomly and efficacy of drugs was assessed by using HAM- D. Results: The mean age of the patients was 41.69±10.61 years, 43(44.79%) patients were male and 53(55.21%) patients were females. In sertraline group the mean change in HAM-D score of the patients was 13.54±1.56 while in mirtazapine group the mean HAM-D score of the patients was 17.27±1.28 (p-value=<0.001). Conclusion: This randomized control trial concluded that mirtazapine is significantly more efficacious as compared to sertraline for treating the depression in patient with Hepatitis C.