Background

SSRIs are the first-line medication for adolescent depression and anxiety. Clinical practice guidelines for adolescent depression and anxiety outline the management of these medications. However, these guidelines does not account for variation in SSRI metabolism, which can lead to differneces in efficacy and tolerability. Pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing identifies metabolism phenotype and may decrease trial-and-error time in prescribing.

Research Question 

Is PGx-guided prescribing superior to clinical guideline-informed prescribing for achieving remission after 12 weeks in adolescents with depression or anxiety? 

Trial Overview 

This triple-blind randomized controlled trial will enrol 452 adolescents aged 12–17 years with moderate to severe depression or anxiety who have not responded to antidepressant treatment. Participants will be allocated on a 1:1 ratio for their physician to receive either PGx-guided or clinical guideline prescribing recommendations for antidepressants. Patient-reported outcome data including depressive and anxiety symptoms, role functioning, medication adherence, and adverse drug reactions and side effects will be collected at 4, 8, and 12 weeks.  

Team

Principal Investigators: 

Dr. Chad Bousman

Dr. Amanda Newton

Co-Investigators:

Dr. Paul Arnold

Dr. Katherine Rittenbach

Dr. Ross Tsuyuki

Dr. Jennifer Zwicker

Study Coordinators: 

Laina McAusland 

Meagan Hayashi 

Laboratory Team

Sarker M Shaheen

Ryden McCloud-Trenchard

Partners

University of Calgary

University of Alberta

Alberta Precision Laboratories

EPICORE Centre

Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education

Alberta Provincial Addiction and Mental Health Portfolio 

Primary Health Care Integration Network

Funding Support