Noncontinuous use of antidepressant in adults with major depressive disorders - a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Noncontinuous antidepressant use is frequently observed in clinical practice despite the standard recommendation of at least 6-9 months of continuous treatment. The problem may be more serious in Chinese populations where stigmatization is common. This retrospective cohort study investigated the rate of noncontinuous antidepressant use and subsequent rate of relapse and recurrence in psychiatric Chinese outpatients by examining the prescription records, electronic medical records, and written medical records.