Aripiprazole Adjuvant Therapy in an Elderly Patient with Refractory Depression: A Case Report of Suicide Event

Aripiprazole在老年難治型憂鬱症之輔助治療：自殺案例報告

單瑜(Yu Shan)

《醫學與健康期刊》 1卷1期 (2012/09) Pp. 91-94

https://doi.org/10.29585/YYWYLL.201209.0009

摘要

Aripiprazole輔助治療在憂鬱症是有效的。但過去少有報告闡述aripiprazole的使用和自殺事件之間的關係。相關aripiprazole使用的自殺事件報告多是以精神分裂症與躁鬱症的個案為主，較少提及憂鬱症個案。希望藉由本案例報告能讓更多人關注aripiprazole在憂鬱症個案自殺預防的角色。我們報告一例罹患難治型憂鬱症的老年婦女。一開始在aripiprazole與抗憂鬱劑的合併治療下憂鬱症狀快速緩解。但持續接受治療的過程中，憂鬱症狀快速惡化，個案最後死於自殺。自殺防治是憂鬱症治療的重要目標之一，在老年憂鬱症患者更是逐漸被重視的議題。過去我們缺乏aripiprazole輔助治療在憂鬱症個案上與自殺行為關聯性的研究。除了治療憂鬱症的有效性，我們有需要近一步了解aripiprazole對憂鬱症患者的治療能否有效預防自殺事件的發生。

關鍵字

老年憂鬱症 ； 自殺

並列摘要

Aripiprazole augmentation therapy is considered to be effective in the treatment of depression. However, there are few reports of a correlation between aripiprazole and the suicide events. These cases most often involved patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, few depressive only. More attention was necessary on whether the aripiprazole augmentation is effective on the suicide prevention especially major depressive patients. Herein we present a case of an elderly female with refractory major depression. Although she had rapid remission under aripiprazole augmentation therapy, the relapse of depression happened soon even with maintaining medication. The patient committed suicide at last. Suicide prevention is one of the main outcomes when treating depression. There is much we do not know regarding the correlation of aripiprazole use and suicide events especially in major depressive cases especially elderly patients. Future randomized, controlled studies may help to provide more clarity regarding the efficacy of aripiprazole augmentation in maintenance treatment of depression and the prevention of suicide.

並列關鍵字

Late-life depression ； Suicide ； Aripiprazole