The three-year naturalistic course of major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder and double depression

Challenges in the treatment of dysthymia: a narrative review

INTRODUCTION

Despite its milder severity, the chronic nature of dysthymia leads to significant impairments and functional limitations. The treatment of dysthymia has received considerably less research attention compared to major depressive disorder (MDD).

AREAS COVERED

The authors have conducted a comprehensive review on the treatment of dysthymia. Their primary objective was to identify therapeutic options that have demonstrated genuine efficacy. To do this, they searched the PubMed database, without any time restrictions, to retrieve original studies. The samples were exclusively comprised individuals diagnosed with dysthymia according to the diagnostic criteria outlined in DSM-III, DSM-III-R, DSM-IV, or DSM-IV-TR.

EXPERT OPINION

Within the realm of dysthymia treatment, several antidepressants, including imipramine, sertraline, paroxetine, minaprine, moclobemide, and amineptine, in addition to the antipsychotic agent amisulpride, have demonstrated superiority over placebo. In certain studies, psychotherapeutic interventions did not distinguish themselves significantly from pharmacological treatments and failed to exhibit greater efficacy than a placebo. However, these findings remain inconclusive due to the limited number of studies and substantial methodological limitations prevalent in a significant proportion of them. Limitations include factors like small sample sizes, the absence of placebo comparisons, and a lack of study blinding.

Estimation of life expectancy and healthcare cost in rheumatoid arthritis patients with and without depression: a population-based retrospective cohort study

Purpose

This study aimed to estimate the lifetime healthcare costs and loss of life expectancy (loss-of-LE) among patients with incident rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with and without depression.

Methods

This 18 years longitudinal cohort study used data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. In total, 43,311 patients with RA were included. Among them, 1,663 patients had depressive disorders in the year preceding the RA diagnosis. The survival function for patients with RA with or without depression was estimated and extrapolated over a lifetime using the rolling extrapolation algorithm. The loss-of-LE was calculated by comparing the sex, age, and calendar year-matched referents from vital statistics. The average monthly cost was calculated as the sum of the monthly costs for all patients divided by the number of surviving patients. Lifetime healthcare costs were estimated by multiplying the monthly average cost by the monthly survival probability.

Results

The loss-of-LE for RA patients with and without depression was 5.60 years and 4.76 years, respectively. The lifetime costs of RA patients with and without depression were USD$ 90,346 and USD$ 92,239, respectively. However, the annual healthcare costs were USD$ 4,123 for RA patients with depression and USD$ 3,812 for RA patients without depression. Regardless of sex or age, RA patients with depression had higher annual healthcare costs than those without depression.

Conclusion

Patients with RA and depression have a high loss-of-LE and high annual healthcare costs. Whether treating depression prolongs life expectancy and reduces healthcare costs warrants further investigation.

Relationship Between Social Withdrawal (Hikikomori), Personality, and Coping in an Adult Population

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between personality dimensions, coping strategies, and Hikikomori while controlling for the presence of depression and anxiety.

METHODS

Two groups, recruited on social networks, were compared: the control group (n=101, mean age±standard deviation [SD]= 36.2±12.8 years) and the Hikikomori group (n=28, mean age±SD=30.1±9.1 years). Participants of both groups completed the Big Five Inventory, the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

RESULTS

The Hikikomori group had higher depression, anxiety, neuroticism, and dysfunctional coping dimension (self-blame and behavioral disengagement) scores than the control group. Being alone and depression were positively associated with Hikikomori while extraversion and instrumental support were negatively associated with Hikikomori.

CONCLUSION

These findings contribute to a better understanding of the psychological functioning of Hikikomori as well as to treatment elaboration and confirm that some psychological characteristics are transcultural.

Metta-Based Therapy for Chronic Depression: a Wait List Control Trial

Objectives

Current treatments for chronic depression have focused on reducing interpersonal problems and negative affect, but paid little attention to promoting prosocial motivation and positive affect. Following this treatment focus, the objective of the present study was to examine whether the combination of metta (Loving Kindness) group meditation and subsequent tailored individual therapy focusing on kindness towards oneself and others (metta-based therapy, MBT) shows greater improvements in depressive symptoms than a wait list control group in patients with chronic depression.

Methods

Forty-eight patients with DSM-5 persistent depressive disorder were randomly assigned to MBT or a wait list control condition. Outcome was assessed after group meditation, after subsequent individual therapy, and at 6-month follow-up. The primary outcome measure was an independent blind rating of depressive symptoms at post-test. Secondary outcome included changes in self-reported depression, behavioral activation, rumination, social functioning, mindfulness, compassion, and clinician-rated emotion regulation.

Results

Mixed-design analyses showed significant differences between MBT and WLC in changes from pre- to post-test in clinician-rated and self-rated depression, behavioral activation, rumination, social functioning, mindfulness, and emotion regulation. Most of the changes occurred during group meditation and were associated with large effect sizes. Improvements were maintained at 6-month follow-up.

Conclusions

The results provide preliminary support for the effectiveness of MBT in treating chronic depression.

Trial Registration

ISRCTN, ISRCTN97264476.

Prominent health problems, socioeconomic deprivation, and higher brain age in lonely and isolated individuals: A population-based study

Loneliness is linked to increased risk for Alzheimer's disease, but little is known about factors potentially contributing to adverse brain health in lonely individuals. In this study, we used data from 24,867 UK Biobank participants to investigate risk factors related to loneliness and estimated brain age based on neuroimaging data. The results showed that on average, individuals who self-reported loneliness on a single yes/no item scored higher on neuroticism, depression, social isolation, and socioeconomic deprivation, performed less physical activity, and had higher BMI compared to individuals who did not report loneliness. In line with studies pointing to a genetic overlap of loneliness with neuroticism and depression, permutation feature importance ranked these factors as the most important for classifying lonely vs. not lonely individuals (ROC AUC = 0.83). While strongly linked to loneliness, neuroticism and depression were not associated with brain age estimates. Conversely, objective social isolation showed a main effect on brain age, and individuals reporting both loneliness and social isolation showed higher brain age relative to controls - as part of a prominent risk profile with elevated scores on socioeconomic deprivation and unhealthy lifestyle behaviours, in addition to neuroticism and depression. While longitudinal studies are required to determine causality, this finding may indicate that the combination of social isolation and a genetic predisposition for loneliness involves a risk for adverse brain health. Importantly, the results underline the complexity in associations between loneliness and adverse health outcomes, where observed risks likely depend on a combination of interlinked variables including genetic as well as social, behavioural, physical, and socioeconomic factors.

Review of dysthymia and persistent depressive disorder: history, correlates, and clinical implications

Persistent depressive disorder is a chronic mood disorder that is common and often more disabling than episodic major depression. In DSM-5, the term subsumes several chronic depressive presentations, including dysthymia with or without superimposed major depressive episodes, chronic major depression, and recurrent major depression without recovery between episodes. Dysthymia can be difficult to detect in psychiatric and primary care settings until it intensifies in the form of a superimposed major depressive episode. Although information is scarce concerning the cause of persistent depressive disorder including dysthymia, the causation is likely to be multifactorial. In this narrative Review, we discuss current knowledge about the nosology and neurobiological basis of dysthymia and persistent depressive disorder, emphasising a dimensional perspective based on course for further research. We also review new developments in psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy for persistent depressive disorder, and propose a tailored, modular approach to accommodate its multifaceted nature.

The role of depression course on life functioning and coping outcomes from baseline through 23-year follow-up

BACKGROUND

Although studies have examined how depressed patients' baseline characteristics predict depression course, still needed are studies of how depression course is associated with modifiable long-term outcomes.

AIMS

This study examined six outcomes of three groups representing distinct depression courses (low baseline severity, rapid decline; moderate baseline severity, rapid decline; and high baseline severity, slow decline): medical functioning, coping patterns, family functioning, social functioning, employment, and work functioning.

METHOD

Adults with depression at baseline (N = 382; 56% women) were followed for 23 years on self-reported outcomes (79% response rate). Data from the baseline assessment and follow-ups (1, 4, 10, and 23 years) were used in a longitudinal analysis to examine associations between depression course and outcomes.

RESULTS

All depression course groups declined on medical and social functioning and employment over follow-up. The high- and moderate-severity depression course groups reported poorer coping patterns than the low-severity group. The high-severity depression course group reported poorer family functioning than the moderate-severity group, and had the poorest work functioning outcome, followed by the moderate-severity and then the low-severity groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with a high- or moderate-severity depression course may benefit from treatment that manages coping patterns and improves family and work functioning.

The identification, assessment and management of difficult-to-treat depression: An international consensus statement

BACKGROUND

Many depressed patients are not able to achieve or sustain symptom remission despite serial treatment trials - often termed "treatment resistant depression". A broader, perhaps more empathic concept of "difficult-to-treat depression" (DTD) was considered.

METHODS

A consensus group discussed the definition, clinical recognition, assessment and management implications of the DTD heuristic.

RESULTS

The group proposed that DTD be defined as "depression that continues to cause significant burden despite usual treatment efforts". All depression management should include a thorough initial assessment. When DTD is recognized, a regular reassessment that employs a multi-dimensional framework to identify addressable barriers to successful treatment (including patient-, illness- and treatment-related factors) is advised, along with specific recommendations for addressing these factors. The emphasis of treatment, in the first instance, shifts from a goal of remission to optimal symptom control, daily psychosocial functional and quality of life, based on a patient-centred approach with shared decision-making to enhance the timely consideration of all treatment options (including pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, neurostimulation, etc.) to optimize outcomes when sustained remission is elusive.

LIMITATIONS

The recommended definition and management of DTD is based largely on expert consensus. While DTD would seem to have clinical utility, its specificity and objectivity may be insufficient to define clinical populations for regulatory trial purposes, though DTD could define populations for service provision or phase 4 trials.

CONCLUSIONS

DTD provides a clinically useful conceptualization that implies a search for and remediation of specific patient-, illness- and treatment obstacles to optimizing outcomes of relevance to patients.

Lifetime experience of multiple common mental disorders and 19-year mortality: results from a Canadian population-based cohort

AIMS

To examine the impact of multiple psychiatric disorders over the lifetime on risk of mortality in the general population.

METHODS

Data came from a random community-based sample of 1397 adults in Atlantic Canada, recruited in 1992. Major depression, dysthymia, panic disorder, generalised anxiety disorder and alcohol use disorders were assessed using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS). Vital status of participants through 2011 was determined using probabilistic linkages to the Canadian Mortality Database. Cox proportional hazard models with age at study entry as the time scale were used to investigate the relationship between DIS diagnoses and mortality, adjusted for participant education, smoking and obesity at baseline.

RESULTS

Results suggested that mood and anxiety disorders rarely presented in isolation - the majority of participants experienced multiple psychiatric disorders over the lifetime. Elevated risk of death was found among men with both major depression and dysthymia (HR 2.56; 95% CI 1.12-5.89), depression and alcohol use disorders (HR 2.45; 95% CI 1.18-5.10) and among men and women who experienced both panic disorder and alcohol use disorders (HR 3.80; 95% CI 1.19-12.16).

CONCLUSION

The experience of multiple mental disorders over the lifetime is extremely common, and associated with increased risk of mortality, most notably among men. Clinicians should be aware of the importance of considering contemporaneous symptoms of multiple psychiatric conditions.

Severity, course trajectory, and within-person variability of individual symptoms in patients with major depressive disorder

BACKGROUND

Depression shows a large heterogeneity of symptoms between and within persons over time. However, most outcome studies have assessed depression as a single underlying latent construct, using the sum score on psychometric scales as an indicator for severity. This study assesses longitudinal symptom-specific trajectories and within-person variability of major depressive disorder over a 9-year period.

METHODS

Data were derived from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA). This study included 783 participants with a current major depressive disorder at baseline. The Inventory Depressive Symptomatology-Self-Report (IDS-SR) was used to analyze 28 depressive symptoms at up to six time points during the 9-year follow-up.

RESULTS

The highest baseline severity scores were found for the items regarding energy and mood states. The core symptoms depressed mood and anhedonia had the most favorable course, whereas sleeping problems and (psycho-)somatic symptoms were more persistent over 9-year follow-up. Within-person variability was highest for symptoms related to energy and lowest for suicidal ideation.

CONCLUSIONS

The severity, course, and within-person variability differed markedly between depressive symptoms. Our findings strengthen the idea that employing a symptom-focused approach in both clinical care and research is of value.

Impact, Diagnosis, Phenomenology, and Biology

This section provides summaries of the epidemiology, phenomenology, nosology, and the suspected biological substrates of the depressive disorders. It particularly emphasizes the historical evolution of the pertinent diagnostic constructs and the prognostic import both of the various diagnostic groupings and of the individual symptoms and symptom clusters.

Interleukin, tumor necrosis factor-α and C-reactive protein profiles in melancholic and non-melancholic depression: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

The current diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) do not allow prediction of prognosis and therapeutic response. A possible strategy to improve this situation is the identification of depression subtypes on the bases of biomarkers reflecting underlying pathological processes such as neuro-inflammation.

METHODS

The PubMed/Medline database was searched until Apr 25th, 2017. In the initial search 1018 articles were retrieved, which were subsequently screened and only selected when the inclusion and exclusion criteria were fulfilled.

RESULTS

Eight eligible studies were found. Overall, serum interleukin-6 and 1β values were increased in the melancholic MDD subtype compared to controls and the non-melancholic MDD subtype. C-reactive protein was increased in non-melancholic MDD in 2 out of 4 studies, while there was no difference for tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-2 and 10.

CONCLUSION

Given the paucity of eligible studies the tentative conclusion must be drawn that peripheral inflammation markers have limited added value thus far to distinguish between melancholic and non-melancholic depression. To allow for a more definitive conclusion, further research is warranted using a broader panel of inflammatory markers in MDD subtypes, preferably based on a general consensus regarding diagnostic criteria and subtype definitions.

Risk factors for recurrence in depression in the Lundby population, 1947-1997

BACKGROUND

Depression is a common disorder in both men and women, and the recurrence rate is high. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for recurrence in depression in the Lundby Study.

METHODS

The Lundby Study is a community-based longitudinal study with focus on mental health. The study started in 1947 and three follow-ups have been carried out since, the last one in 1997. The population consists of 3563 subjects. Data from 508 subjects afflicted by depression was gathered. Premorbid factors (gender, socioeconomic status, marital status, personality and heredity) and factors related to the first depressive episode (age, degree of impairment and melancholic depression) were investigated regarding their influence on the risk for recurrence in depression. Multiple logistic regression was used in the calculations.

RESULTS

Risk factors associated with recurrent depression were melancholic depression at first onset (OR 3.52 [95% CI 1.62-7.66, p < 0.001]), young age as compared to old age at first onset (OR 0.51 [95% CI 0.28-0.92, p = 0.03]) and a premorbid nervous/tense personality (OR 1.77 [95% CI 1.22-2.56, p < 0.01]). Demographic factors, including gender, had no effect on the odds of recurrence.

LIMITATIONS

The Lundby Study spans over 50 years, making the results vulnerable to changes in diagnostic regimes and recall bias.

CONCLUSION

Melancholia at onset, regardless of severity of symptoms, had the greatest impact on the risk of recurrence in depression in the Lundby Study. Information about risk factors for recurrence in depression are useful in offering effective preventive measures in the form of psychotropic drugs and psychotherapy, and deciding the length of follow-up.

Emotion Regulation and Social Cognition as Functional Targets of Mechanism-Based Psychotherapy in Major Depression With Comorbid Personality Pathology

This article characterizes functional systems as targets of integrated modular psychotherapy for episodes of major depression (MD) with a comorbid condition of borderline personality disorder (BPD) or chronic depression (CD). Both types of comorbidities to MD are conceptualized as a trait-like concept dominated by impairments in interpersonal functioning. Despite differences in psychopathology, existing data show significant similarities in impairments of emotion regulation and social cognition in BPD and CD, thought to reflect common disease mechanisms linked to early-life adversity. The preexistence of BPD and CD and related functional impairments inhibits the remission of episodic MD and calls for mechanism-based interventions that complement existing treatments of MD by targeting these dysfunctions. Contemporary methods of psychotherapy already provide interventions to address such complicated states of comorbidity by specifically improving dysfunctions of emotion regulation and social cognition. We suggest a layout of modular interventions that can address identified dysfunctions in comorbid MD.

The influence of thoughts of death and suicidal ideation on the course of depression in older depressed patients

OBJECTIVE

Thoughts of death are not regularly included in diagnostic instruments and rarely examined separately from thoughts of suicide. This exploratory study examined whether thoughts of death and thoughts of suicide affect the course of late-life depressive disorders.

METHODS

In 378 depressed older persons, thoughts of death and thoughts of suicide were assessed using questions from the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. After 2 years, the presence of a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of minor or major depression or dysthymia was assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. The Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology was administered every 6 months up till 3-year follow-up.

RESULTS

Multinomial logistic regression showed that thoughts of death as well as thoughts of suicide predicted double depression at follow-up (OR = 2.14 [95% CI: 1.04-4.40] and OR = 6.47 [95% CI: 2.22-3.02], respectively), compared with patients without these thoughts. Results became non-significant when adjusted for baseline depression severity (OR = 1.17 [95% CI: 0.52-2.63] and OR = 2.57 [95% CI: 0.79-8.84], respectively). Mixed linear models showed that severity of depression was lowest in the reference group, while symptoms decreased more over time in those with either thoughts of death or suicide.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with thoughts of death or with thoughts of suicide were more severely depressed at baseline and follow-up, with the highest risk of being depressed at follow-up for patients with thoughts of suicide. These associations could be explained by baseline depression severity. The results suggest that thoughts of death and thoughts of suicide are important risk markers in predicting the course of depression. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Cytokine production capacity in depression and anxiety

Recent studies have suggested that immune function may be dysregulated in persons with depressive and anxiety disorders. Few studies examined the expression of cytokines in response to ex vivo stimulation of blood by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to study the innate production capacity of cytokines in depression and anxiety. To investigate this, baseline data from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) were used, including persons (18-65 years; 66% women) with current (that is, past month; N=591) or remitted (N=354) DSM-IV depressive or anxiety disorders and healthy controls (N=297). Depressive and anxiety symptoms were measured by means of the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (IDS) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Using Multi-Analyte Profiling technology, plasma levels of 13 cytokines were assayed after whole blood stimulation by addition of LPS. Basal plasma levels of C-reactive protein, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α were also available. A basal and a LPS summary index were created. Results show that LPS-stimulated inflammation was associated with increased odds of current depressive/anxiety disorders (odds ratio (OR)=1.28, P=0.009), as was the case for basal inflammation (OR=1.28, P=0.001). These associations were no longer significant after adjustment for lifestyle and health (OR=1.13, P=0.21; OR=1.07, P=0.45, respectively). After adjustment for lifestyle and health, interleukin-8 was associated with both remitted (OR=1.25, P=0.02) and current (OR=1.28, P=0.005) disorders. In addition, LPS-stimulated inflammation was associated with more severe depressive (β=0.129, P<0.001) and anxiety (β=0.165, P<0.001) symptoms, as was basal inflammation. Unlike basal inflammation, LPS-stimulated inflammation was still associated with (anxiety) symptom severity after adjustment for lifestyle and health (IDS: interleukin (IL)-8, MCP-1, MMP2; BAI: LPS index, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-18, MCP-1, MMP2, TNF-β). To conclude, lifestyle and health factors may partly explain higher levels of basal, as well as LPS-stimulated inflammation in persons with depressive and anxiety disorders. However, production capacity of several cytokines was positively associated with severity of depressive and in particular anxiety symptoms, even while taking lifestyle and health factors into account. Elevated IL-8 production capacity in both previously and currently depressed and anxious persons might indicate a genetic vulnerability for these disorders.

Psychiatric Symptoms in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Survivors: A 1-Year National Multicenter Study

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate prevalence, severity, and co-occurrence of and risk factors for depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms over the first year after acute respiratory distress syndrome.

DESIGN

Prospective longitudinal cohort study.

SETTINGS

Forty-one Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Network hospitals across the United States.

PATIENTS

Six hundred ninety-eight acute respiratory distress syndrome survivors.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Psychiatric symptoms were evaluated by using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Impact of Event Scale-Revised at 6 and 12 months. Adjusted prevalence ratios for substantial symptoms (binary outcome) and severity scores were calculated by using Poisson and linear regression, respectively. During 12 months, a total of 416 of 629 patients (66%) with at least one psychiatric outcome measure had substantial symptoms in at least one domain. There was a high and almost identical prevalence of substantial symptoms (36%, 42%, and 24% for depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder) at 6 and 12 months. The most common pattern of co-occurrence was having symptoms of all three psychiatric domains simultaneously. Younger age, female sex, unemployment, alcohol misuse, and greater opioid use in the ICU were significantly associated with psychiatric symptoms, whereas greater severity of illness and ICU length of stay were not associated.

CONCLUSIONS

Psychiatric symptoms occurred in two thirds of acute respiratory distress syndrome survivors with frequent co-occurrence. Sociodemographic characteristics and in-ICU opioid administration, rather than traditional measures of critical illness severity, should be considered in identifying the patients at highest risk for psychiatric symptoms during recovery. Given high co-occurrence, acute respiratory distress syndrome survivors should be simultaneously evaluated for a full spectrum of psychiatric sequelae to maximize recovery.

Course of depression in a 10-year prospective study: Evidence for qualitatively distinct subgroups

The course of depressive disorders can vary considerable, with some individuals exhibiting a chronic course and poor outcomes, while others have a more episodic course and better outcomes. However, it is unclear whether degree of chronicity is continuous or reflects qualitatively distinct subgroups. Using data from a 5-wave, 10-year, naturalistic study of 127 depressed outpatients, we examined whether depression chronicity lies on a continuum or manifests natural boundaries. Spline regression was used to test 7 continuous and discontinuous models of the relationship between depression during the first follow-up interval and multiple outcomes at subsequent follow-ups. In order to further validate the findings, we also created empirically derived subgroups based on the results of the spline regression analyses and compared them on baseline clinical characteristics and long-term outcomes. There was a clear and consistent discontinuity indicating that for higher levels of chronicity during the first 30-month period, depression was linearly related to outcome; in contrast, for lower levels of chronicity, depression in the initial interval was unrelated to subsequent outcomes. The findings were strikingly consistent across the 4 follow-up evaluations using multiple outcomes and goodness-of-fit indices. In addition, the chronic group--as defined by the first follow-up period--exhibited more baseline chronic depression, anxiety and personality disorders, family history of dysthymia, and childhood adversity, and was more likely to attempt suicide and be hospitalized during follow-up, than the nonchronic group. Results suggest that there are qualitatively distinct classes of patients with more and less chronic depressions, and support the utility of longitudinal course as a means of parsing depression into more homogeneous subgroups.

Persistent Depression as a Novel Diagnostic Category: Results from the Menderes Depression Study

INTRODUCTION

Persistent depressive disorder (PDD) introduced in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) 5 as a novel diagnostic category represents a consolidation of two separate DSM-IV categories, chronic major depressive disorder (MDD) and dysthymic disorder. The present study aims to investigate the frequency and clinical as well as socio-demographic correlates of PDD in comparison with those of episodic MDD among patients seeking treatment for depressive symptoms.

METHODS

Participants were 140 depressive out-and in-patients under treatment at the psychiatry clinic of the Adnan Menderes University Research Hospital. Each patient was assessed by means of a structured clinical interview (SCID-I) and relevant psychometric instruments including the Hamilton Depression Inventory and Eskin Suicidal Behavior Inventory.

RESULTS

Among the depressive patients, 61% fulfilled the criteria for PDD and 39% for episodic MDD. As compared with patients with episodic MDD, the PDD patients were older (d=.54), lower in educational attainment (d=.55), more likely to have comorbid generalized anxiety disorder (OR=3.7), and more prone to report symptoms of anxiety, hopelessness, pessimism, and somatic complaints. Nevertheless, the PDD patients displayed heterogeneous characteristics with respect to clinical severity and suicidal behavior.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that majority of depressive patients, including those fulfilling the criteria for MDD, have been suffering from a persistent ailment rather than an episodic disorder. Clinicians with a cross-sectional perspective are more likely to diagnose MDD, whereas those with a longitudinal perspective are more likely to identify PDD in the majority of depressive patients. The incorporation of both of these perspectives into DSM-5 in a complementary manner will possibly enhance our insight into depressive disorders and improve our treatment results.

Predictors of Response to Web-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy With High-Intensity Face-to-Face Therapist Guidance for Depression: A Bayesian Analysis

Background

Several studies have demonstrated the effect of guided Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) for depression. However, ICBT is not suitable for all depressed patients and there is a considerable level of nonresponse. Research on predictors and moderators of outcome in ICBT is inconclusive.

Objective

This paper explored predictors of response to an intervention combining the Web-based program MoodGYM and face-to-face therapist guidance in a sample of primary care patients with mild to moderate depressive symptoms.

Methods

Participants (N=106) aged between 18 and 65 years were recruited from primary care and randomly allocated to a treatment condition or to a delayed treatment condition. The intervention included the Norwegian version of the MoodGYM program, face-to-face guidance from a psychologist, and reminder emails. In this paper, data from the treatment phase of the 2 groups was merged to increase the sample size (n=82). Outcome was improvement in depressive symptoms during treatment as assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Predictors included demographic variables, severity variables (eg, number of depressive episodes and pretreatment depression and anxiety severity), cognitive variables (eg, dysfunctional thinking), module completion, and treatment expectancy and motivation. Using Bayesian analysis, predictors of response were explored with a latent-class approach and by analyzing whether predictors affected the slope of response.

Results

A 2-class model distinguished well between responders (74%, 61/82) and nonresponders (26%, 21/82). Our results indicate that having had more depressive episodes, being married or cohabiting, and scoring higher on a measure of life satisfaction had high odds for positively affecting the probability of response. Higher levels of dysfunctional thinking had high odds for a negative effect on the probability of responding. Prediction of the slope of response yielded largely similar results. Bayes factors indicated substantial evidence that being married or cohabiting predicted a more positive treatment response. The effects of life satisfaction and number of depressive episodes were more uncertain. There was substantial evidence that several variables were unrelated to treatment response, including gender, age, and pretreatment symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Conclusions

Treatment response to ICBT with face-to-face guidance may be comparable across varying levels of depressive severity and irrespective of the presence and severity of comorbid anxiety. Being married or cohabiting, reporting higher life satisfaction, and having had more depressive episodes may predict a more favorable response, whereas higher levels of dysfunctional thinking may be a predictor of poorer response. More studies exploring predictors and moderators of Internet-based treatments are needed to inform for whom this treatment is most effective.

Trial Registration

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry number: ACTRN12610000257066; https://www.anzctr.org.au/trial_view.aspx?id=335255 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6GR48iZH4).

The four-year course of major depressive disorder: the role of staging and risk factor determination

BACKGROUND

Much is still unclear about the mechanisms underlying the course of major depressive disorder (MDD). This study aimed to identify risk factors that predict a poor prognosis of MDD while taking into consideration its chronicity at baseline.

METHODS

In patients with MDD (n = 767), we examined whether baseline clinical factors, sociodemographics, childhood trauma, personality and life events predicted the 4-year course (i.e., sustained recovery, temporary recovery and chronic course) of MDD. Baseline chronicity of MDD was taken into account by testing whether associations were different for patients with nonchronic versus chronic MDD at baseline.

RESULTS

In patients with nonchronic MDD at baseline, 27.8% developed a chronic disorder during follow-up, whereas 53.0% of patients with chronic MDD at baseline had a persistent chronic disorder during follow-up. Severity of MDD, childhood trauma and greater age were important general risk factors for a poor prognosis, independent of MDD chronicity at baseline. In contrast, low extraversion was only important for the course of nonchronic MDD at baseline, while higher education and negative life events (in patients with high neuroticism) were only relevant for the course of chronic MDD at baseline.

CONCLUSIONS

One out of 4 patients with nonchronic MDD progressed to a chronic disorder, while half of the patients with chronic MDD remained chronic during follow-up. Since several risk factors for a poor prognosis differed for patients with nonchronic and chronic MDD at baseline, treatment targets should be adjusted for current chronicity of MDD.

Psychiatric comorbidity and its impact on mortality in patients who attempted suicide by paraquat poisoning during 2000-2010

BACKGROUND

Paraquat poisoning is a lethal method of suicide used around the world. Although restricting its accessibility had been widely discussed, the underlying psychopathological mechanism of paraquat self-poisoning and its association with mortality have not yet been explicitly evaluated.

METHODS

We included all patients admitted to a tertiary general hospital in Taiwan between 2000 and 2010 following a suicide attempt by paraquat self-administration. Diagnoses were made upon psychiatric consultation based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria. The risk of mortality was calculated by logistic regression with various psychiatric or medical covariates.

RESULTS

The consultation-liaison psychiatry team assessed 157 patients who attempted suicide by paraquat poisoning. Mood disorders (54.0%), including dysthymic (26.7%) and major depressive disorders (24.7%), were the most common psychiatric diagnoses among the self-poisoning patients. Among those who attempted suicide, 87 patients (58.0%) died and dysthymic disorder (OR = 5.58, 95% CI: 1.13-27.69; p < 0.05) significantly increased the mortality risk after adjustment for relevant medical variables, including age, gender, severity index of paraquat poisoning (SIPP), and risk for respiratory failure.

CONCLUSIONS

Awareness of comorbid psychiatric illnesses, especially dysthymic disorder, is vital in the prevention and treatment of suicide by paraquat poisoning.

Inflammatory and metabolic dysregulation and the 2-year course of depressive disorders in antidepressant users

Scarce evidence suggests that inflammatory and metabolic dysregulation predicts poor response to antidepressants, which could result in worse depression outcome. This study prospectively examined whether inflammatory and metabolic dysregulation predicted the 2-year course of depressive disorders among antidepressant users. Data were from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety, including 315 persons (18-65 years) with a current depressive disorder (major depressive disorder, dysthymia) at baseline according to the DSM-IV criteria and using antidepressants. Inflammatory (C-reactive protein, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor-necrosis factor-α) and metabolic (waist circumference, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, blood pressure, fasting glucose) factors were measured at baseline. Primary outcome for course of depression was indicated by whether or not a DSM-IV depressive disorder diagnosis was still/again present at 2-year follow-up, indicating chronicity of depression. Elevated IL-6, low HDL cholesterol, hypertriglyceridemia, and hyperglycemia were associated with chronicity of depression in antidepressant users. Persons showing ⩾ 4 inflammatory or metabolic dysregulations had a 1.90 increased odds of depression chronicity (95% CI = 1.12-3.23). Among persons who recently (ie, at most 3 months) started antidepressant medication (N = 103), having ⩾ 4 dysregulations was associated with a 6.85 increased odds of depression chronicity (95% CI = 1.95-24.06). In conclusion, inflammatory and metabolic dysregulations were found to predict a more chronic course of depressive disorders among patients using antidepressants. This could suggest that inflammatory and metabolic dysregulation worsens depression course owing to reduced antidepressant treatment response and that alternative intervention treatments may be needed for depressed persons with inflammatory and metabolic dysregulation.

Five-year outcome of major depressive disorder in primary health care

BACKGROUND

Primary health care provides treatment for most patients with depression. Despite their importance for organizing services, long-term course of depression and risk factors for poor outcome in primary care are not well known.

METHOD

In the Vantaa Primary Care Depression Study, a stratified random sample of 1119 patients representing primary care patients in a Finnish city was screened for depression with the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders. SCID-I/P and SCID-II interviews were used to diagnose Axis I and II disorders. The 137 patients with DSM-IV depressive disorder were prospectively followed up at 3, 6, 18 and 60 months. Altogether, 82% of patients completed the 5-year follow-up, including 102 patients with a research diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) at baseline. Duration of the index episode, recurrences, time spent in major depressive episodes (MDEs) and partial or full remission were examined with a life-chart.

RESULTS

Of the MDD patients, 70% reached full remission, in a median time of 20 months. One-third had at least one recurrence. The patients spent 34% of the follow-up time in MDEs, 24% in partial remission and 42% in full remission. Baseline severity of depression and substance use co-morbidity predicted time spent in MDEs.

CONCLUSIONS

This prospective, naturalistic, long-term study of a representative cohort of primary care patients with depression indicated slow or incomplete recovery and a commonly recurrent course, which need to be taken into account when developing primary care services. Severity of depressive symptoms and substance use co-morbidity should be systematically evaluated in planning treatment.

The impact of lifestyle factors on the 2-year course of depressive and/or anxiety disorders

BACKGROUND

Although depressed and anxious patients often show an unhealthy lifestyle, much is still unclear about its impact on the natural course of disorders. This study will examine whether physical activity, smoking and alcohol consumption predicted the 2-year course of depressive and/or anxiety disorders.

METHODS

In a large sample of depressed and/or anxious patients (n=1275), we examined whether baseline physical activity, smoking and alcohol consumption independently predicted the course of disorders at 2-year follow-up. The persistence of DSM-IV depressive and/or anxiety disorders (primary outcome) and the severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms (secondary outcomes) were considered. Confounding effects of baseline severity of psychopathology, sociodemographics, somatic health indicators and treatment factors were taken into account.

RESULTS

The persistence of disorders was significantly increased in patients with low physical activity (61.2%), but not moderate physical activity (54.4%), compared to patients with high physical activity (49.2%). This association remained significant after adjustment for baseline severity of psychopathology, other lifestyle factors (smoking and alcohol consumption), sociodemographics, somatic health indicators and treatment factors. Similar results were found for the course of depressive and anxiety symptoms. Neither smoking nor alcohol consumption was related to the course of depressive and/or anxiety disorders.

LIMITATIONS

Assessments of lifestyle factors were based on self-report and may be subject to recall and social desirability bias.

CONCLUSIONS

Low physical activity, but not heavy smoking or alcohol consumption, was a strong and independent risk factor of an unfavorable course of depressive and/or anxiety disorders and may be an important therapeutic target in treatment.

The prospective long-term course of adult depression in general practice and the community. A systematic literature review

BACKGROUND

Findings about the prospective long-term course of depression are usually derived from clinical populations while knowledge about the course in community and primary care samples is rarer. As depressive disorders are highly prevalent and associated with considerable disability and costs, this information is needed to identify the percentages of subjects with a favorable or unfavorable prognosis. Therefore our aim was to summarize the available evidence on the prospective longitudinal course of depression in both general practice and the community.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic, computerized search of Medline and PsycINFO. Main selection criteria were (a) adults with observer assessed depressive disorder recruited in the community or in general practice and (b) naturalistic study with follow-up length of at least three years. As primary outcome the percentages of stable recovery, recovery during or at follow-up, recurrence and chronic course were used.

RESULTS

We identified 12 cohorts, with 4009 followed-up individuals. Follow-up intervals ranged between three and 49 years. Between 35% and 60% of participants experienced a stable recovery with no (further) recurrences, while 70-85% recovered at least once during follow-up. A consistent percentage of 10-17% had a chronic course. Recurrence rates varied considerably ranging between 7% and 65%. Significant predictors of an unfavorable course appear to be mainly those variables that lie within the course of depression itself, i.e. history of depression, baseline severity, and comorbidity.

LIMITATIONS

Use of broad inclusion criteria heightened study heterogeneity and hampered comparability.

CONCLUSION

Regarding stable recovery, the long-term course within general practice and community samples seems more favorable than within clinical samples. Further research applying a standardized methodology is required.

Baseline characteristics of depressive disorders in Thai outpatients: findings from the Thai Study of Affective Disorders

BACKGROUND

The Thai Study of Affective Disorders was a tertiary hospital-based cohort study developed to identify treatment outcomes among depressed patients and the variables involved. In this study, we examined the baseline characteristics of these depressed patients.

METHODS

Patients were investigated at eleven psychiatric outpatient clinics at tertiary hospitals for the presence of unipolar depressive disorders, as diagnosed by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition. The severity of any depression found was measured using the Clinical Global Impression and 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) clinician-rated tools, with the Thai Depression Inventory (a self-rated instrument) administered alongside them. Sociodemographic and psychosocial variables were collected, and quality of life was also captured using the health-related quality of life (SF-36v2), EuroQoL (EQ-5D), and visual analog scale (EQ VAS) tools.

RESULTS

A total of 371 outpatients suffering new or recurrent episodes were recruited. The mean age of the group was 45.7±15.9 (range 18-83) years, and 75% of the group was female. In terms of diagnosis, 88% had major depressive disorder, 12% had dysthymic disorder, and 50% had a combination of both major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder. The mean (standard deviation) scores for the HAMD, Clinical Global Impression, and Thai Depression Inventory were 24.2±6.4, 4.47±1.1, and 51.51±0.2, respectively. Sixty-two percent had suicidal tendencies, while 11% had a family history of depression. Of the major depressive disorder cases, 61% had experienced a first episode. The SF-36v2 component scores ranged from 25 to 56, while the mean (standard deviation) of the EQ-5D was 0.50±0.22 and that of the EQ VAS was 53.79±21.3.

CONCLUSION

This study provides an overview of the sociodemographic and psychosocial characteristics of patients with new or recurrent episodes of unipolar depressive disorders.

Lessons to be learned from placebo arms in psychopharmacology trials

Large placebo effects are typically reported in clinical drug trials and evidence suggests placebo effects have increased over time. The diminishing drug-placebo difference calls into question the effectiveness of pharmacological treatments and provides a challenge to prove the effectiveness of new medications. This chapter discusses explanations for the increasing placebo effect. It highlights the contribution of spontaneous remission to the improvement in placebo groups, but focuses particularly on the role of patient and clinician expectations. Certain characteristics of the trial design can influence the formation of patient expectations and, subsequently, true placebo responses. Side effects in clinical trials may also contribute inadvertently to placebo responses. Side effects after starting medication can inform participants about their allocation to an active treatment group. Thus, they may enhance expectations of improvement and contribute to nonspecific effects in clinical trials. It is argued that specific and nonspecific effects interact in drug groups of clinical trials. This interaction influences drug-placebo differences in clinical trials (i.e., trial sensitivity). Future research should aim to identify which patients will respond best to drugs and those who may be better treated with placebos.

Mauling of the "Celtic Tiger": clinical characteristics and outcome of first-episode depression secondary to the economic recession in Ireland

BACKGROUND

There is a dearth of studies describing clinical characteristics and outcome of patients who present with mood disorders related to economic recession.

AIMS

To describe a cohort of patients admitted with first-episode depression related to the Irish economic recession and compare this cohort with all other first-episode depressives admitted during the same time period (2009-2010).

METHODS

A cohort of 137 patients admitted with first-episode depression to an independent university teaching hospital was prospectively identified and followed up from admission over 2 years (mean follow-up 430 days, s.d. 176 days). The cohort was divided into "Celtic Tiger" (patients with first-episode depression secondary to the economic recession) and non-Celtic Tiger control patients (other first-episode depressed patients). Both groups were compared in terms of clinical characteristics at baseline and outcome over follow-up.

RESULTS

The number of admissions due to first depressive episodes were higher in recession years 2009/10 than in pre-recession years 2008/9. Celtic Tiger patients were predominantly male and more severely depressed with more marked suicidal ideation (χ(2), p<0.001) than control patients. They were more likely to recover (χ(2), p=0.013), less likely to recur (χ(2), p<0.001) and had faster time to recovery (log rank, p<0.001) and slower time to full recurrence (log rank, p=0.001). The Celtic Tiger patients spent more time asymptomatic and less time at full and subthreshold depression levels over follow-up.

LIMITATIONS

Study setting of centre specializing in affective disorders treatment, retrospective nature of follow-up after initial prospective interview and lack of patient follow-up interview.

CONCLUSION

The study describes a subgroup of patients with severe depression associated with economic recession with likely high suicide risk but very favourable outcome.

Disability and comorbidity among major depressive disorder and double depression in African-American adults

BACKGROUND

Few studies have examined differences in disability and comorbity among major depressive disorder (MDD), dysthymia, and double depression in African-Americans (AA).

METHODS

A secondary analysis was performed on AA in the National Survey of American Life. Interviews occurred 2001-2003. A four stage national area probability sampling was performed. DSM-IV-TR diagnoses were obtained with a modified version of the World Health Organization's expanded version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Disability was measured by interview with the World Health Organization's Disability Assessment Schedule II.

RESULTS

Compared to non-depressed AA, AA endorsing MDD (t=19.0, p=0.0001) and double depression (t=18.7, p=0.0001) reported more global disability; AA endorsing MDD (t=8.5, p=0.0063) reported more disability in the getting around domain; AA endorsing MDD (t=19.1, p=0.0001) and double depression (t=12.1, p=0.0014) reported more disability in the life activities domain. AA who endorsed double depression reported similar disability and comorbidities with AA who endorsed MDD. Few AA endorsed dysthymia.

LIMITATIONS

This was a cross-sectional study subject to recall bias. The NSAL did not measure minor depression.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study supports the idea of deleting distinct chronic subtypes of depression and consolidating them into a single category termed chronic depression.

Life stressors and resources and the 23-year course of depression

BACKGROUND

Life stressors and personal and social resources are associated with depression in the short-term, but little is known about their associations with the long-term course of depression. The current paper presents results of a 23-year study of community adults who were receiving treatment for depression at baseline (N=382).

METHODS

Semi-parametric group-based modeling was used to identify depression trajectories and determine baseline predictors of belonging to each trajectory group.

RESULTS

There were three distinct courses of depression: high severity at baseline with slow decline, moderate severity at baseline with rapid decline, and low severity at baseline with rapid decline. At baseline, individuals in the high-severity group had less education than those in the moderate-severity group, and more medical conditions than those in the moderate- and low-severity groups. Individuals in the high- and moderate-severity groups evidenced less psychological flexibility, and relied more on avoidance coping than individuals in the low-severity group.

LIMITATIONS

Results are limited by use of self-report and lack of information about depression status and life events in the periods between follow-ups.

CONCLUSIONS

These results assist in identifying groups at high risk for a long-term course of depression, and will help in selecting appropriate interventions that target depression severity, coping skills and management of stressors.

Psychotherapy, antidepressants, and their combination for chronic major depressive disorder: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

Recommendations for treatment of chronic major depressive disorder (cMDD) are mostly based on clinical experiences and on the literature on treatment-resistant depression (TRD) but not on a systematic review of the literature.

METHOD

We conducted a systematic review of 10 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), with 17 comparisons between antidepressants (ADs), psychotherapy, or the combination of both interventions.

RESULTS

The best evidence is for the combination of psychotherapy and ADs, and especially for the combination of the cognitive behavourial analysis system of psychotherapy and ADs. Evidence is very weak for both ADs alone and psychotherapy alone. Assessment of TRD was mostly absent in the studies.

CONCLUSION

The best treatment for cMDD is a combination of psychotherapy and ADs. However, there is a lack of well-performed RCTs in both ADs and psychotherapy and their combination for cMDD. Therefore, the conclusions are preliminary.

Risk factors for onset of multiple or long major depressive episodes versus single and short episodes

PURPOSE

Major depressive disorder may vary according to number and duration of episodes. It is unclear whether risk factors for onset of multiple or long episodes of depression (MDE) differ from risk factors for the onset of single and short ones.

METHODS

Data were used from a cohort study of 5,256 GP attendees without major depressive disorder at baseline, who were followed up three times (predictD). The numbers and duration of MDE were noted and categorized into no episodes, single and short (≤3 months), and multiple or long (>3 months) episodes at follow-up. Log-binomial regression models were used to calculate relative risks between the groups for 18 risk factors examined at baseline.

RESULTS

165 persons (3 %) had a single and short MDE and 328 (6 %) had multiple or long MDE at follow-up. Lower education, anxiety, problems at work and financial strain significantly increased the risk of multiple or long MDE when compared to single and short MDE. Younger people were at reduced risk of multiple or long MDE.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that several risk factors can be identified that may help to predict onset of different types of MDE. These factors are easy to assess and may be used in the prevention of depression.

Parameters of education and the course of depression: an analysis in the Turkish sociocultural context

BACKGROUND

Major depression (MD) is often marked by an unfavourable course. Education repeatedly was found to be associated with better mental health variables, but longitudinal data are scarce. This evaluation seeks to identify the predictive role of specific aspects of education on the course of depression in a socioculturally defined setting.

METHODS

A sample of 69 unipolar MD outpatients in university and primary health care in Antalya, Turkey were observed naturalistically for a mean 11-month period. The baseline examination included several psychosocial variables, among them the highest attained schooling degree (DEG), possible further but unfulfilled educational aspirations (UEA), and the participants' parental educational level (PEL). The depressive symptomatology was assessed with the HAM-D-17 at baseline and at four-monthly follow-ups. A binary variable differentiated 'non-remissive' from 'remissive' courses, the latter displaying at least temporal partial remissions.

RESULTS

Forty-two per cent of the sample displayed a non-remissive one-year course of MD. Half of the participants reported UEA. This was more prevalent among women, and qualitative information added causal gender-specific perceptions. In logistic regression, DEG proved prognostic impact, but was exceeded by the combination of UEA and PEL as the strongest predictor model (Cox & Snell R(2) = 0.217). This remained when controlled for place of examination, gender and initial severity of depression. As risk factors for low education, a pattern of female gender and large family size (itself predicted by rural descent) emerged.

CONCLUSIONS

Low education proved to be a risk factor for an unfavourable course of MD. Not only actual experienced schooling, but also unfulfilled academic aspirations and a low parental educational level appear to be of crucial impact.

Treating the depressions with superficial brain stimulation methods

Many, if not most, of the different superficial brain stimulation methods are being either used or investigated to treat the depressions. There are likely many reasons why there is this much interest and research involving brain stimulation treatments for depression, including that the depressions are common, there is dissatisfaction with other treatments, and some patients do not respond to medications or talking therapies. This is coupled with the fact that depressive episodes are a periodic or temporary state of the brain, and that when patients are no longer in that state they return to normal functioning. Additionally, the oldest brain stimulation method, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), is also the most effective antidepressant available for the acute treatment of depression in patients who do not respond to medications. The newer brain stimulation methods have followed in the path blazed by ECT, showing that stimulation of key regions can cause a change in brain state and treat the depression. After almost 20 years of research, repeated daily repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the prefrontal cortex for several weeks is now also an established clinical treatment for acute episodes. The data are less convincing for the other brain stimulation methods, but all are being investigated. Using brain stimulation (as opposed to medications or talking therapy) to treat depression is a rapidly expanding area of research with already established clear indications. Much more work is needed to understand best which methods should be used in any given patient, and in what order.

Prevalence and functional consequences of severe insomnia symptoms in mood and anxiety disorders: results from a nationally representative sample

STUDY OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the prevalence of severe insomnia symptoms and the extent to which they are associated with daytime impairments in comorbid mood and anxiety disorders.

DESIGN

Nationally representative cross-sectional survey.

SETTING

National Comorbidity Survey-Replication (NCS-R).

PARTICIPANTS

There were 5,692 NCS-R respondents with no mood or anxiety disorder (n = 3,711), mood disorders only (n = 327), anxiety disorders only (n = 1,137), and coexisting mood and anxiety disorders (n = 517).

INTERVENTIONS

N/A.

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition disorders and severe insomnia symptoms in the past year were assessed using the World Health Organization (WHO) Composite International Diagnostic Interview. The World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHO-DAS) indexed eight domains of daytime impairment in the past 30 days, which included self-care, mobility, cognition, social functioning, time out of role, and four components of productive role functioning. Respondents with comorbid mood and anxiety disorders had significantly higher rates of severe insomnia complaints (42.1-62.8%) relative to the three other groups. Severe insomnia complaints were also significantly more prevalent in individuals with mood (25.2-45.6%) or anxiety disorders only (24.9-45.5%) relative to those with no disorder (12.4-24.3%). Moreover, endorsing a severe insomnia complaint in the past year was associated with increased days of impairment across all past-month WHO-DAS domains for respondents with mood-anxiety comorbidity. For the remaining groups, severe insomnia complaints were related to increased days of impairment across all domains except self-care, and additionally mobility for the group with mood disorders only.

CONCLUSIONS

Comorbid mood and anxiety disorders are associated with high rates of severe insomnia complaints, which were independently associated with substantial functional impairment.

Course trajectories of unipolar depressive disorders identified by latent class growth analysis

BACKGROUND

Current classification of unipolar depression reflects the idea that prognosis is essential. However, do DSM categories of major depressive disorder (MDD), dysthymic disorder (Dysth) and double depression (DD=MDD+Dysth) indeed adequately represent clinically relevant course trajectories of unipolar depression? Our aim was to test DSM categories (MDD, Dysth and DD) in comparison with empirically derived prognostic categories, using a prospectively followed cohort of depressed patients.

METHOD

A large sample (n=804) of out-patients with unipolar depression were derived from a prospective cohort study, the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA). Using latent class growth analysis (LCGA), empirically derived 2-year course trajectories were constructed. These were compared with DSM diagnoses and a wider set of putative predictors for class membership.

RESULTS

Five course trajectories were identified, ranging from mild severity and rapid remission to high severity and chronic course trajectory. Contrary to expectations, more than 50% of Dysth and DD were allocated to classes with favorable course trajectories, suggesting that current DSM categories do not adequately represent course trajectories. The class with the most favorable course trajectory differed on several characteristics from other classes (younger age, more females, less childhood adversity, less somatic illnesses, lower neuroticism, higher extraversion). Older age, earlier age of onset and lower extraversion predicted poorest course trajectory.

CONCLUSIONS

MDD, Dysth and DD did not adequately match empirically derived course trajectories for unipolar depression. For the future classification of unipolar depression, it may be wise to retain the larger, heterogeneous category of unipolar depression, adopting cross-cutting dimensions of severity and duration to further characterize patients.

Prevalence and correlates of the proposed DSM-5 diagnosis of Chronic Depressive Disorder

CONTEXT

The draft proposal to add Chronic Depressive Disorder to DSM-5 will combine DSM-IV Dysthymic Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder, with chronic specifier, into a single diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to estimate the prevalence and correlates of the proposed DSM-5 diagnosis of Chronic Depressive Disorder using unit record data from the 2007 Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing.

DESIGN

Secondary analysis of a nationally representative household survey.

SETTING

Urban and rural census tracts.

PARTICIPANTS

One individual between the ages of 16 and 85 years from 8841 households was interviewed for the survey.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Lifetime prevalence estimates for chronic and non-chronic depression were determined using data from the World Health Organization's Composite International Diagnostic Interview, version 3.0 (WMH-CIDI 3.0).

RESULTS

Chronic depression of at least two years' duration had a lifetime prevalence of 4.6% (95% CI: 3.9-5.3%) and was found in 29.4% (95% CI: 25.6-33.3%) of individuals with a lifetime depressive disorder. Higher rates of psychiatric co-morbidity (OR=1.42; 95% CI=1.26-1.61), older age (OR=1.04; 95% CI=1.02-1.05), a younger age of onset (OR=0.97; 95% CI=0.95-0.98) and more frequent episodes of depression (OR=1.75; 95% CI=1.07-2.86) were found to be significant correlates of chronic depression. The first episode of depression for individuals with chronic depression often developed after the death of someone close (OR=2.38; 95% CI 1.16-5.79).

CONCLUSIONS

Chronic depression is highly prevalent among community-residing persons and has a set of correlates that discriminate it from non-chronic depression. The distinction between chronic and non-chronic depression proposed for DSM-5, in the form of Chronic Depressive Disorder, seems to be warranted.

Alcohol use disorders and the course of depressive and anxiety disorders

BACKGROUND

Inconsistent findings have been reported on the role of comorbid alcohol use disorders as risk factors for a persistent course of depressive and anxiety disorders.

AIMS

To determine whether the course of depressive and/or anxiety disorders is conditional on the type (abuse or dependence) or severity of comorbid alcohol use disorders.

METHOD

In a large sample of participants with current depression and/or anxiety (n = 1369) we examined whether the presence and severity of DSM-IV alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence predicted the 2-year course of depressive and/or anxiety disorders.

RESULTS

The persistence of depressive and/or anxiety disorders at the 2-year follow-up was significantly higher in those with remitted or current alcohol dependence (persistence 62% and 67% respectively), but not in those with remitted or current alcohol abuse (persistence 51% and 46% respectively), compared with no lifetime alcohol use disorder (persistence 53%). Severe (meeting six or seven diagnostic criteria) but not moderate (meeting three to five criteria) current dependence was a significant predictor as 95% of those in the former group still had a depressive and/or anxiety disorder at follow-up. This association remained significant after adjustment for severity of depression and anxiety, psychosocial factors and treatment factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Alcohol dependence, especially severe current dependence, is a risk factor for an unfavourable course of depressive and/or anxiety disorders, whereas alcohol abuse is not.

Prognostic value of implicit and explicit self-associations for the course of depressive and anxiety disorders

Dysfunctional self-beliefs are assumed to play an important role in maintaining depression and anxiety. Current dual-process models emphasize the relevance of differentiating between implicit and explicit self-beliefs. Therefore, this study tested the prognostic value of automatic and explicit self-associations for the naturalistic course of depressive and anxiety disorders over two years follow-up. Both self-depressed and self-anxious associations were measured in unipolar depressed patients (n = 313), anxious patients (n = 566), and patients with comorbid depressive and anxiety disorders (n = 577) as part of the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety. Outcomes showed that in single predictor models specifically automatic self-anxious associations were related to a reduced chance of remission from anxiety, whereas automatic self-depressed associations were related to a reduced chance of remission from depression. Explicit self-anxious associations and fearful avoidance behaviour showed independent predictive validity for remission from anxiety, whereas explicit self-depressed associations and having both major depressive disorder and dysthymia showed independent predictive validity for remission from depression. These findings are not only consistent with the view that both implicit and explicit dysfunctional self-associations are related to the course of anxiety and unipolar depressive disorders, but also suggest that both types of self-beliefs are proper targets for therapeutic interventions.

Gray matter volume abnormalities in individuals with cognitive vulnerability to depression: a voxel-based morphometry study

BACKGROUND

The hopelessness theory of depression posits that individuals with negative cognitive styles are at an increased risk for depression following negative life events. In neuroimaging studies, brain gray matter volume abnormalities correlate with the presence of depressive disorders. However, it is unknown whether changes in gray matter volume also appear in healthy individuals with cognitive vulnerability to depression (CVD).

METHODS

30 subjects diagnosed with CVD, 33 first-episode patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), and 32 healthy controls were examined using voxel-based morphometry following magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

RESULTS

We found significant volumetric differences between three groups in the left precentral gyrus, right fusiform gyrus and the right thalamus. In these regions, compared to controls, CVD subjects showed reduced gray matter volumes in the left precentral gyrus and right fusiform gyrus. MDD patients demonstrated reduced gray matter volume in the left precentral gyrus and increased gray matter volume in the right thalamus. Additionally, CVD individuals had significantly smaller right fusiform gyrus and right thalamus than MDD patients. The weakest-link scores on CSQ were negatively correlated with gray matter volumes in the left precentral gyrus.

CONCLUSIONS

Reductions in brain gray matter volume exist widely in individuals with CVD. In addition, there exist similar abnormalities in gray matter volume in both CVD subjects and MDD patients. Reductions of gray matter volume in the left precentral gyrus might be correlated to the negative cognitive styles, as well as an increased risk for depression.

Physical function as predictor for the persistence of depressive and anxiety disorders

INTRODUCTION

Depressive and anxiety disorders often involve a chronic course. This study examined whether objective physical function is a predictor for the persistence of depressive and anxiety disorders.

METHOD

The study sample consisted of 1206 persons with depressive and anxiety disorders at baseline. Hand grip strength and lung function were used as objective physical function measurements and were determined at baseline. Outcome variable was a 6-month depressive and/or anxiety diagnosis after 2 years of follow-up.

RESULTS

Lower hand grip strength predicted the persistence of depressive and/or anxiety disorders at 2-year follow-up (per SD increase: OR=0.82, CI: 0.69-0.99, p=0.04). Associations were consistent for depressive and anxiety disorder persistence. Poorer lung function was associated with the persistence of depressive disorders (per SD increase: OR=0.83, CI: 0.70-0.98, p=0.03) but not with anxiety disorders.

LIMITATIONS

Follow-up was limited to 2 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Objectively measured poorer physical function predicted the persistence of depressive and/or anxiety disorders.

The natural course and outcome of major depressive disorder in primary care: the PREDICT-NL study

PURPOSE

To examine the natural course and outcome of major depressive disorder (MDD) in primary care over 39 months.

METHODS

Prospective cohort study of 1,338 consecutive attendees with follow-up after 6, 12, and 39 months with DSM-IV MDD using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). We measured severity of depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire 9), somatic symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire 15), and mental and physical function (Short Form 12, mental and physical component summary). Analysis of variance and random coefficient models were performed.

RESULTS

At baseline, 174 people (13%) had MDD of which 17% had a chronic and 40% had a fluctuating course, while 43% remitted. Patients with chronic courses had more severe depressive symptoms (mean difference 6.54; 95% CI 4.38-8.70), somatic symptoms (mean difference 3.31; 95% CI 1.61-5.02), and greater mental dysfunction (mean difference -10.49; 95% CI -14.42 to -6.57) at baseline than those who remitted from baseline, independent of age, sex, level of education, presence of a chronic disease, and a lifetime history of depression.

CONCLUSIONS

Although 43% of patients with MDD attending primary care recover, this leaves a majority of patients (57%) who have a chronic or intermittent course. Chronic courses are associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms and somatic symptoms and greater mental dysfunction at baseline.

One-year severity of depressive symptoms: results from the NESDA study

The aim of this study was to simultaneously examine a wide range of risk factors and clinical characteristics in their predictive value for the 1-year severity of depressive symptoms. Data from 789 participants in the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA), a large psychiatric cohort study, with a major depressive disorder (MDD) at baseline were used. Depression severity at 1-year follow-up was studied using linear and multinomial logistic regression models. Results of the analyses showed that high neuroticism, no partner and older age were found predictive of a poorer outcome independent of baseline clinical characteristics. Further, comorbid anxiety disorder, first episode, having a moderate subtype (vs. melancholic), and higher baseline depression severity predicted poorer outcome. To conclude, both risk factors and clinical characteristics independently predicted 1-year severity of depressive symptoms. The findings indicate that the prediction of prognosis and identification of persons at risk of a poor outcome should not only be based on clinical characteristics, but on risk factors as well.

Serotonin transporter gene moderates childhood maltreatment's effects on persistent but not single-episode depression: replications and implications for resolving inconsistent results

BACKGROUND

Genetic and environmental factors shape life-long vulnerability to depression, but most gene-environment interaction (G×E) research has focused on cross-sectional assessments rather than life-course phenotypes. This study tests the hypothesis that the G×E involving the length polymorphism in the serotonin-transporter-gene-linked-promoter-region (5-HTTLPR) and childhood maltreatment is specific to depression that runs a persistent course in adulthood.

METHODS

The hypothesis is tested in two cohorts. Men and women in the Dunedin Study (N=847), New Zealand, followed to age 32 years with 96% retention and women in the E-Risk Study (N=930), England, followed to age 40 years with 96% retention. Diagnoses of past-year major depressive episode were established at four separate assessments. Depression diagnosed on two or more occasions was considered persistent.

RESULTS

In both cohorts, statistical tests of gene-environment interactions showed positive results for persistent depression but not single-episode depression. Individuals with two short 5-HTTLPR alleles and childhood maltreatment had elevated risk of persistent but not single-episode depression.

LIMITATIONS

Some cases of recurrent depression may have been misclassified as single-episode due to non-contiguous assessment windows, but this would have a conservative effect on the findings. Chronic and recurrent depression could not be reliably distinguished due to non-contiguous periods of assessment. Therefore, the term persistent depression is used to describe either chronic or recurrent course.

CONCLUSIONS

The specific effect on persistent depression increases the significance of this G×E for public health. Research that does not distinguish persistent course may underestimate G×E effects and account for some replication failures in G×E research.

Lessons learned from placebo groups in antidepressant trials

This comprehensive review provides an overview about placebo and nocebo phenomena in antidepressant trials. Improvements in the placebo groups may partly be explained through methodological issues such as natural course of depression and regression to the mean, but also fundamentally reflect investigators' and participants' expectations. A meta-analysis by our group of 96 randomized placebo-controlled trials showed large placebo responses to antidepressant medication. Moderator analyses revealed substantially larger placebo responses in observer ratings compared with self-report. Effect sizes in observer ratings showed strong increase with publication year while this effect was not found for patients' self-ratings. This reflects the strong influence of investigators' expectations. The analysis of 'nocebo effects', e.g. adverse effects in placebo groups of antidepressant trials also confirms the impact of expectations: nocebo symptoms reflected the typical side-effect patterns expected in the drug group, with higher symptoms rates in the placebo groups of tricyclic antidepressant trials compared with placebo groups of trials testing selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. While the placebo response seems to be similar for women and men, gender differences were found for nocebo rates. In the conclusion, we discuss potential implications for clinical trial designs and argue for interventions aimed at optimizing positive expectations of treatment benefit while minimizing the impact of adverse effects.

Amygdala hyperactivation and prefrontal hypoactivation in subjects with cognitive vulnerability to depression

The hopelessness theory (HT) of depression is a diathesis-stress theory which construes cognitive vulnerability (CV) to depression. Neuroimaging studies examining depression have implicated the amygdala as an important potential locus of dysfunction in the processing of salient threatening stimuli. However, little is known about neural activation in the brain of subjects with CV to depression. Medication-free major depressive disorder (MDD) subjects (N=29), never depressed subjects with CV (N=26), and demographically matched never depressed healthy control (HC) subjects (N=31) were scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while performing an emotional matching task. The MDD subjects showed elevated left amygdala responses and reduced left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) activation levels relative to HC subjects. Similarly, CV subjects had greater activity in the amygdala bilaterally and lesser activation in the dlPFC bilaterally, relative to HC subjects. The present findings raise the possibility that cognitive vulnerability to depression might be characterized by hypoactivation of the prefrontal cortex and hyperactivation of the amygdala in response to emotional stimuli; our observations might provide a potential interpretation to explain the abnormalities in neural networks mediating cognitive modulation of emotions in individuals with cognitive vulnerability to depression.