Table 4.
Measures of autonomic nervous system function (COMPASS-31 total weighted score) for each group according to prescribed medication, including between-group comparisons
| COMPASS-31 total weighted score | Depression group | Active controls | Healthy controls | Depression v. active controls v. healthy controls | Depression v. active controls | Depression v. healthy controls | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pa | Effect sizeb (95% CI) | Pc | Effect sizeb (95% CI) | Pc | Effect sizeb (95% CI) | |||||
| Any psychotropic | ||||||||||
| Prescribed | n | 527 | 544 | 69 | ||||||
| Median (IQR) | 21 (16) | 18 (16) | 13 (14) | <0.01 | 0.02 (0.01–0.04) | <0.01 | 0.02 (0.00–0.03) | <0.01 | 0.03 (0.01–0.07) | |
| Not prescribed | n | 167 | 347 | 1549 | ||||||
| Median (IQR) | 20 (16) | 14 (13) | 9 (10) | <0.01 | 0.11 (0.09–0.14) | <0.01 | 0.05 (0.02–0.09) | <0.01 | 0.12 (0.09–0.14) | |
| Prescribed v. Not prescribed | Pc | 0.31 | <0.01 | <0.01 | ||||||
| Effect sized (95% CI) | 0.12 (0.05–0.30) | 0.33 (0.19–0.46) | 0.60 (0.36–0.85) | |||||||
| Antidepressants | ||||||||||
| Prescribed | n | 461 | 249 | 52 | ||||||
| Median (IQR) | 21 (16) | 18 (15) | 14 (17) | <0.01 | 0.02 (0.01–0.04) | 0.06 | 0.00 (0.00–0.02) | <0.01 | 0.02 (0.00–0.05) | |
| Not prescribed | n | 233 | 642 | 1566 | ||||||
| Median (IQR) | 20 (16) | 15 (15) | 9 (10) | <0.01 | 0.14 (0.12–0.17) | <0.01 | 0.04 (0.02–0.06) | <0.01 | 0.15 (0.13–0.18) | |
| Prescribed v. Not prescribed | Pc | 0.63 | <0.01 | <0.01 | ||||||
| Effect sized (95% CI) | 0.03 (−0.13 to 0.18) | 0.33 (0.18–0.47) | 0.70 (0.42–0.97) | |||||||
| Antipsychotics | ||||||||||
| Prescribed | n | 166 | 367 | 11 | ||||||
| Median (IQR) | 23 (15) | 18 (16) | 11 (21) | <0.01 | 0.03 (0.01–0.06) | <0.01 | 0.03 (0.01–0.06) | 0.07 | 0.02 (0.00–0.07) | |
| Not prescribed | n | 528 | 524 | 1607 | ||||||
| Median (IQR) | 20 (15) | 15 (14) | 9 (10) | <0.01 | 0.17 (0.15–0.20) | <0.01 | 0.04 (0.02–0.06) | <0.01 | 0.20 (0.17– 0.23) | |
| Prescribed v. Not prescribed | Pc | 0.07 | <0.01 | 0.20 | ||||||
| Effect sized (95% CI) | 0.18 (0.01–0.35) | 0.18 (0.05–0.32) | 0.75 (0.16–1.35) | |||||||
| Mood stabilisers | ||||||||||
| Prescribed | n | 56 | 125 | 4 | ||||||
| Median (IQR) | 21 (15) | 18 (15) | 6 (10) | 0.03 | 0.04 (0.00–0.96) | 0–29 | 0.01 (0.00–0.06) | <0.01 | 0.09 (0.00–0.25) | |
| Not prescribed | n | 638 | 766 | 1614 | ||||||
| Median (IQR) | 21 (16) | 15 (15) | 9 (10) | <0.01 | 0.18 (0.15–0.20) | <0.01 | 0.03 (0.02–0.05) | <0.01 | 0.22 (0.20–0.25) | |
| Prescribed v. Not prescribed | Pc | 0.78 | 0.04 | 0.42 | ||||||
| Effect sized (95% CI) | 0.02 (−0.26 to 0.29) | 0.15 (−0.04 to 0.34) | 0.40 (−0.58 to 1.38) | |||||||
| Sedatives and anxiolytics | ||||||||||
| Prescribed | n | 148 | 158 | 16 | ||||||
| Median (IQR) | 25 (17) | 20 (20) | 11 (14) | <0.01 | 0.06 (0.02–0.12) | <0.01 | 0.03 (0.00–0.07) | <0.01 | 0.11 (0.03–0.20) | |
| Not prescribed | n | 546 | 733 | 1602 | ||||||
| Median (IQR) | 19 (15) | 15 (14) | 9 (10) | <0.01 | 0.15 (0.13–0.17) | <0.01 | 0.03 (0.01–0.05) | <0.01 | 0.18 (0.16–0.21) | |
| Prescribed v. Not prescribed | Pc | <0.01 | <0.01 | 0.65 | ||||||
| Effect sized (95% CI) | 0.55 (0.36–0.73) | 0.50 (0.32–0.67) | 0.23 (0.26–0.72) | |||||||
| Anticholinergics | ||||||||||
| Prescribed | n | 127 | 202 | 27 | ||||||
| Median (IQR) | 22 (17) | 17 (15) | 16 (18) | <0.01 | 0.04 (0.01–0.08) | <0.01 | 0.04 (0.01–0.08) | 0.02 | 0.04 (0.00–0.11) | |
| Not prescribed | n | 567 | 689 | 1591 | ||||||
| Median (IQR) | 20 (15) | 16 (15) | 9 (10) | <0.01 | 0.18 (0.15–0.20) | <0.01 | 0.03 (0.01–0.05) | <0.01 | 0.22 (0.19–0.25) | |
| Prescribed v. Not prescribed | Pc | 0.22 | 0.25 | <0.01 | ||||||
| Effect sized (95% CI) | 0.14 (−0.06 to 0.33) | 0.08 (−0.08 to 0.24) | 0.77 (0.39–1.16) | |||||||
| Beta-blockers | ||||||||||
| Prescribed | n | 41 | 72 | 34 | ||||||
| Median (IQR) | 22 (19) | 14 (12) | 10 (13) | <0.01 | 0.12 (0.04–0.22) | 0.02 | 0.05 (0.00–0.15) | <0.01 | 0.21 (0.07–0.36) | |
| Not prescribed | n | 653 | 819 | 1584 | ||||||
| Median (IQR) | 21 (15) | 16 (15) | 9 (10) | <0.01 | 0.18 (0.15–0.20) | <0.01 | 0.03 (0.01–0.05) | <0.01 | 0.23 (0.20–0.26) | |
| Prescribed v. Not prescribed | Pc | 0.84 | 0.54 | 0.69 | ||||||
| Effect sized (95% CI) | 0.07 (−0.25 to 0.39) | 0.09 (−0.15 to 0.33) | 0.05 (−0.29 to 0.39) | |||||||
Data are presented for each group (depression, active controls and healthy controls) on the number of participants prescribed and not prescribed the respective drug class (n), as well as the median and IQR for COMPASS-31 in each group. All between-group comparisons are for COMPASS-31 scores. In the rows, ‘Prescribed v. Not prescribed’ compares the COMPASS-31 scores for those prescribed and not prescribed the respective drug class. In the columns, comparisons in COMPASS-31 scores are presented between the three groups using the Kruskal–Wallis test (‘depression v. active controls v. healthy controls’) and pairwise using the Mann–Whitney test (‘depression v. active controls’ and ‘depression v. healthy controls’).
Kruskal–Wallis.
Eta-squared; effect sizes: small (0.01), medium (0.06) and large (0.14).
Mann–Whitney.
Cohen's d; effect sizes: small (0.2), medium (0.5) and large (0.8).