The findings of this study must be considered in the context of the medical file audit methodology used – an approach potentially limited by medical record quality and lack of inter-rater reliability, but the widely used methodology also offers several benefits, including the fact that a highly representative sample of patients can be obtained, the investigators said.
Future prospective research should focus on "mapping the trajectory of depressive symptoms against the course of positive and negative symptoms, insight, and substance use," they concluded, noting that such studies will improve understanding of the phenomenology and trajectory of depressive pathology in FES and inform the development of targeted interventions.
This study was supported by grants from Eli Lilly & Co. Australia and the Leenaards Foundation, Switzerland. Dr. Cotton is supported by the Ronald Phillip Griffith Fellowship, the University of Melbourne. Several other study authors reported that they serve on Eli Lilly’s speakers board.