The Patterns and Risk Factors for Antidepressant Drug Prescription in Thyroid Cancer Patients and Survivors: Analysis Based on the Korean National Health Insurance Service Database
Authors' conclusion
Thyroid cancer diagnosis and treatment are associated with an increased risk of prescription of antidepressants in Korea.
Study context
- Population
- Patients diagnosed with thyroid cancer (ICD-10 C73) 2002–2019, without prior depression or other cancers, National Health Insurance Service-National Health Screening Cohort (≈10% of South Koreans aged 40–79 years)
- Participants
- 6,968 thyroid cancer patients
- Exposure
- Thyroid cancer patients by treatment (no treatment, lobectomy, TT) vs matched controls without thyroid cancer
- Outcome
- Newly diagnosed depression: new antidepressant prescription with corresponding diagnostic codes
Methodological detailspopulation-based, matched controls without thyroid cancer
- Population-based
- Matched controls without thyroid cancer
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
New-onset depression
Each group vs matched controlsHazard ratio (95% CI)P value
No treatment
1.33(1.06–1.66)
all p < 0.05Lobectomy
1.30(1.11–1.52)
all p < 0.05TT
1.20(1.09–1.32)
all p < 0.05Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Depression risk by cumulative radioactive iodine (RAI) dose or levothyroxine dosage
- No significant association between depression risk and cumulative RAI dose or levothyroxine dosage
Antidepressant prescription incidence by time since diagnosis
- Significantly higher within the first 5 years postdiagnosis but not beyond 5 years
Original publication
The Patterns and Risk Factors for Antidepressant Drug Prescription in Thyroid Cancer Patients and Survivors: Analysis Based on the Korean National Health Insurance Service Database. Thyroid. Published 17 March 2026. doi:10.
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