Efficacy of Sertraline Combined With Intestinal Microecological Therapy in Adolescents With Moderate Depression and Suicidal Ideation and Its Effects on Serum Inflammatory Factors.

The combination therapy group had a significantly lower proportion of patients with severe depression compared to the monotherapy group after 12 weeks.

• Severe depression proportion was 1.25% in the combination group versus 7.5% in the monotherapy group.
• The difference was statistically significant (p = 0.004).
• Assessments were conducted using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale over a 12-week treatment period.
• The study included 160 adolescents meeting ICD-10 diagnostic criteria for moderate depression with suicidal ideation.

Anxiety symptoms showed significantly greater improvement in the combination therapy group compared to monotherapy.

• The proportion of patients with severe anxiety was 1.25% in the combination group versus 11.25% in the monotherapy group.
• The difference was statistically significant (p = 0.008).
• Anxiety was assessed using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale.
• Suicidal ideation was also tracked using the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation-Chinese Version.

Serum inflammatory markers were significantly reduced in the combination therapy group compared to the monotherapy group.

• IL-6 levels were significantly lower in the combination group (p = 0.007).
• IL-1β levels were significantly lower in the combination group (p = 0.002).
• TNF-α levels were significantly lower in the combination group (p = 0.005).
• CRP levels were significantly lower in the combination group (p = 0.001).
• Peripheral blood inflammatory ratios measured included platelet-to-lymphocyte, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte, and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratios.

IL-6 and CRP demonstrated strong positive correlations with depression scores.

• IL-6 and CRP showed positive correlations with depression scores with r values ranging from 0.35 to 0.39.
• These correlations were described as 'strong positive correlations' by the authors.
• Depression scores were measured using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale.

Current selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor monotherapy treatments for adolescent depression are limited in efficacy.

• Monotherapy with SSRIs has an efficacy rate of approximately 50%–60% according to the authors.
• SSRIs are also limited by delayed onset of action.
• Major depressive disorder with suicidal ideation in adolescents is described as 'a disabling psychiatric disorder.'
• The study was designed to address these limitations by evaluating a combination approach informed by gut-brain axis theory.

This was a retrospective cohort study design comparing sertraline monotherapy to sertraline combined with Bacillus subtilis probiotic preparation in adolescents.

• 160 adolescents were included and categorized into either monotherapy (sertraline) or combination therapy (sertraline + probiotics) groups.
• Participants met ICD-10 diagnostic criteria for moderate depression with suicidal ideation.
• The treatment period was 12 weeks.
• The probiotic used was specifically a Bacillus subtilis probiotic preparation.