Background
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent
psychiatric disorder, with increasing evidence that patients with MDD display psychotic symptoms. Studies have shown the association between
lipid levels and MDD, but few have explored the relationship between
lipids and psychotic symptoms in MDD. The objective of this study was to compare the differences of
lipid levels between patients with psychotic
major depressive disorder (PMD) and those with non-psychotic
major depressive disorder (NPMD) in first-episode and
drug-naive (FEDN) MDD patients. Methods A total of 1718 outpatients with FEDN MDD were recruited. In addition to collecting basic information, their blood specimens were also collected to detect serum TC, HDL-C, TG, and
LDL-C. The Hamilton depression scale (HAMD), Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA), and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) were used to assess their depression, anxiety, and psychotic symptoms respectively. Results Compared to those with NPMD, those with PMD had higher scores on HAMD, HAMA, and more elevated serum TC, TG, and
LDL-C levels, but lower HDL-C levels (all p < 0.05). Further logistic regression analysis showed that TG, the severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms were significantly associated with psychotic symptoms (p < 0.05). Limitations No causal relationship could be drawn due to the cross-sectional design. Conclusions Psychotic symptoms in patients with MDD may be predicted by
lipid levels in the future. Our findings suggest that TG seems to predict the presence of current psychotic features among patients with FEDN MDD.