Escitalopram in a working population: results from an observational study of 2378 outpatients in Austria.

Objective: The aim of this observational study was to evaluate the effectiveness of escitalopram in a naturalistic sample of employed people with mood and anxiety disorders.
Method: Days on sick leave 3 months prior and 3 months during treatment with escitalopram were recorded and compared (mirror study design) in 2378 patients (949 men and 1376 women). A further clinical examination including the clinical global impression of severity (CGI-S) and improvement (CGI-I) scales and assessments of tolerability were used to evaluate treatment effects in a subgroup of 807 study subjects.
Results: Escitalopram treatment (mean final daily dosage: 12.4+/-5.0 mg) led to a significant reduction (baseline versus end of study) of sick leave (11.0+/-12.8 days versus 5.4+/-11.0 days; p<0.001). CGI-S scores decreased from 4.7+/-0.9 at baseline to 2.4+/-1.1 after 3 months (p<0.001), the CGI-I after 3 months was 1.9+/-0.9. The incidence of adverse events after initiation of treatment with escitalopram was 13.1%, with only 1.3% of patients experiencing severe adverse events interfering with patient functioning.
Conclusion: Our results suggest that escitalopram is an efficacious and overall well-tolerated treatment in a naturalistic sample of working patients. A decrease in the days on sick leave is indicative of indirect cost-effectiveness of this treatment.