Assesses adults 18 years of age and older with a diagnosis of major depression who were newly treated with antidepressant medication and remained on their antidepressant medications.
Two rates are reported:
- Effective Acute Phase Treatment: Adults who remained on an antidepressant medication for at least 84 days (12 weeks).
- Effective Continuation Phase Treatment: Adults who remained on an antidepressant medication for at least 180 days (6 months).
Why It Matters
Major depression can lead to serious impairment in daily functioning, including change in sleep patterns, appetite, concentration, energy and self-esteem, and can lead to suicide, the 10th leading cause of death in the United States each year.1,2 Clinical guidelines for depression emphasize the importance of effective clinical management in increasing patients’ medication compliance, monitoring treatment effectiveness and identifying and managing side effects.3
Effective medication treatment of major depression can improve a person’s daily functioning and well-being and can reduce the risk of suicide. With proper management of depression, the overall economic burden on society can be alleviated, as well.
Historical Results – National Averages
Antidepressant Medication Management - Effective Acute Phase Treatment
| Measurement Year | Commercial HMO | Commercial PPO | Medicaid HMO | Medicare HMO | Medicare PPO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 76 | 79.4 | 62.6 | 81.3 | 84.3 |
| 2022 | 75.5 | 78.3 | 60.9 | 80.3 | 83.4 |
| 2021 | 74.7 | 76.9 | 60.8 | 79.6 | 82.6 |
| 2020 | 72.5 | 74.6 | 57.3 | 78.2 | 81.0 |
| 2019 | 69.4 | 72.4 | 55.0 | § | § |
| 2018 | 69.2 | 69.2 | 53.5 | 72.3 | 74.6 |
| 2017 | 67.8 | 68.1 | 53.9 | 70.0 | 73.9 |
| 2016 | 67.2 | 67.9 | 53.1 | 69.4 | 73.2 |
| 2015 | 66.4 | 66.6 | 54.5 | 69.8 | 70.9 |
| 2014 | 66.2 | 66.0 | 52.3 | 68.5 | 71.6 |
| 2013 | 64.4 | 64.3 | 50.5 | 66.8 | 70.0 |
| 2012 | 69.1 | 68.9 | 52.8 | 69.4 | 72.6 |
| 2011 | 65.6 | 64.9 | 51.1 | 66.3 | 70.8 |
| 2010 | 64.7 | 64.3 | 50.7 | 65.0 | 67.4 |
| 2009 | 62.9 | 63.2 | 49.6 | 63.7 | 63.4 |
| 2008 | 63.1 | 63.1 | 48.2 | 62.5 | 61.6 |
| 2007 | 62.9 | 63.8 | 42.8 | 61.2 | 61.0 |
| 2006 | 61.1 | 63.6 | 42.9 | 58.2 | 56.7 |
| 2005 | 61.3 | 65.6 | 45.1 | 55.0 | 49.2 |
| 2004 | 60.9 | – | 46.4 | 56.4 | – |
| 2003 | 60.7 | – | 46.2 | 53.3 | – |
| 2002 | 59.8 | – | 47.5 | 52.1 | – |
| 2001 | 56.9 | – | 45.5 | 51.2 | – |
| 2000 | 57.4 | – | – | – | – |
| 1999 | 58.8 | – | – | – | – |
Antidepressant Medication Management - Effective Continuation Phase Treatment
| Measurement Year | Commercial HMO | Commercial PPO | Medicaid HMO | Medicare HMO | Medicare PPO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 59.3 | 64.1 | 45.3 | 65.9 | 69.3 |
| 2022 | 58.7 | 63.1 | 43.9 | 65 | 69.3 |
| 2021 | 58.1 | 61.6 | 44.1 | 64.7 | 68.6 |
| 2020 | 56.3 | 59.3 | 41.6 | 62.9 | 67.1 |
| 2019 | 53.1 | 56.5 | 39.3 | § | § |
| 2018 | 52.9 | 53.7 | 37.9 | 56.3 | 60.1 |
| 2017 | 51.8 | 52.9 | 38.6 | 55.2 | 59.0 |
| 2016 | 50.9 | 52.6 | 38.0 | 54.4 | 59.4 |
| 2015 | 50.3 | 51.1 | 39.5 | 55.8 | 57.6 |
| 2014 | 49.9 | 50.6 | 37.1 | 54.7 | 58.4 |
| 2013 | 47.4 | 48.7 | 35.2 | 53.3 | 56.8 |
| 2012 | 53.6 | 53.4 | 36.7 | 56.9 | 61.0 |
| 2011 | 49.4 | 48.8 | 34.4 | 53.3 | 58.4 |
| 2010 | 48.3 | 48.1 | 34.4 | 51.9 | 55.7 |
| 2009 | 46.2 | 46.4 | 33.0 | 50.6 | 51.0 |
| 2008 | 46.3 | 46.4 | 31.8 | 49.3 | 48.9 |
| 2007 | 46.1 | 47.6 | 27.4 | 48.7 | 48.7 |
| 2006 | 45.1 | 46.6 | 27.5 | 45.1 | 40.9 |
| 2005 | 45.0 | 48.4 | 29.7 | 41.1 | 31.1 |
| 2004 | 44.3 | – | 30.4 | 42.4 | – |
| 2003 | 44.1 | – | 29.3 | 39.2 | – |
| 2002 | 42.8 | – | 32.4 | 37.7 | – |
| 2001 | 40.1 | – | 30.0 | 36.8 | – |
| 2000 | 40.1 | – | – | – | – |
| 1999 | 42.1 | – | – | – | – |
§ Not available due to CMS suspension of data reporting during COVID-19 pandemic.
This State of Healthcare Quality Report classifies health plans differently than NCQA’s Quality Compass. HMO corresponds to All LOBs (excluding PPO and EPO) within Quality Compass. PPO corresponds to PPO and EPO within Quality Compass.
Figures do not account for changes in the underlying measure that could break trending. Contact Information Products via my.ncqa.org for analysis that accounts for trend breaks.
References
- National Alliance on Mental Illness. 2013. “Major Depression Fact Sheet: What is Major Depression?”
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2012. “Suicide Facts at a Glance 2012.”
- Birnbaum, H.G., R.C. Kessler, D. Kelley, R. Ben-Hamadi, V.N. Joish, P.E. Greenberg. 2010. “Employer burden of mild, moderate, and severe major depressive disorder: Mental health services utilization and costs, and work performance.” Depression and Anxiety; 27(1) 78–89.
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