Compass Pathways survey highlights treatment-resistant depression burden

Compass Pathways (Nasdaq: CMPS) and the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance released findings from a national survey examining the self-reported impact of treatment-resistant depression (TRD) on patients and caregivers.

The survey included 261 patients and 73 caregivers living with or supporting someone with TRD, defined as an inadequate response to two or more courses of antidepressants at adequate dose and duration. An estimated 4 million people in the U.S. live with TRD, according to the press release.

Among the key findings, 95% of surveyed patients described themselves as either functioning but struggling, surviving day-to-day, or barely getting by. Over 70% reported feeling hopeless about their future, and nearly 75% said they felt they had exhausted available treatment options.

More than half of patients said TRD had cost them years of their lives, including missed milestones and career opportunities. Surveyed patients reported negative impacts on friendships (69%) and marriages or partnerships (50%). More than half said they had reduced work hours, and more than one-third had resigned from a job.

Nearly nine out of 10 patients reported feeling judged or misunderstood because their depression had not improved, and more than half said one of the hardest aspects of TRD was feeling like the problem rather than the medication.

Approximately 70% of caregivers said TRD affects the whole family's social, physical, or mental health. Emotional exhaustion affected roughly half of caregivers within three years of a loved one's TRD diagnosis, rising to nearly 95% among those caregiving for three or more years.

"These results give voice to the realities faced by people living with TRD and the caregivers who support them," said Suzanne Baber, CEO of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, adding that the findings "reinforce the urgent need to improve access to support and to encourage clinicians to evaluate other treatment options earlier."

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