Influence of personality on objective and subjective social support among patients with major depressive disorder: a prospective study

Demographic and Psychosocial Variables Could Predict the Occurrence of Major Depressive Disorder, but Not the Severity of Depression in Patients with First-episode Major Depressive Disorder in China

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to investigate the association between psychosocial variables and depression severity among Chinese patients with first-episode major depressive disorder (MDD).

METHODS

This multicenter case-control study enrolled patients with first-episode MDD and healthy controls (HCs) from nine sites in China. Depressive symptoms, clinical features, and psychosocial variables were evaluated. Based on the total score of the Hamilton Rating Scale of Depression (HRSD-17), patients with MDD were classified into three subgroups of severity (mild, moderate and severe). The logistic regression analyses were conducted to investigate the independent risk factors of MDD and different severities of depression.

RESULTS

Overall, 598 MDD patients and 467 HCs were included. The proportions of patients with mild, moderate, and severe depression were 260 (29.5%), 443 (50.2%), and 179 (20.3%), respectively. The logistic regression model revealed that the demographic and psychosocial factors could explain 50.6% of the total variance of occurrence of MDD in the whole sample with HCs. However, in the subsample of MDD patients, only older age [OR=1.03 (95%CI: 1.02-1.05)], stressful social events [OR=1.04 (95%CI: 1.02-1.06)], and melancholic feature [OR=2.68 (95%CI: 1.91-3.74)] were independent risk factors for moderate and severe depression; these factors combined to explain only 10.2% of the total variance.

LIMITATIONS

Only patients with first-episode MDD were included in this study, leaving the associated factors for the severity of recurrent depression uninvestigated.

CONCLUSION

Demographic and psychosocial variables had satisfactory performance in predicting the occurrence of MDD, but showed inadequate value in predicting the depression severity of MDD patients.

Effectiveness of group interpersonal psychotherapy for decreasing aggression and increasing social support among Chinese university students: A randomized controlled study

BACKGROUND

The objective of this randomized controlled experimental study was to determine the intervention effect of group interpersonal psychotherapy (G-IPT) for aggression and social support among Chinese first-grade university students.

METHODS

Through stratified random sampling, 1469 students, aged 18-19 years, were enrolled. Participants whose score achieved the aggressive evaluation standard were selected and then 60 participants were randomly divided into 2 groups: G-IPT and control. The participants in the G-IPT group received 16 sessions of treatment, whereas the participants in the control group did not receive any intervention. All participants completed the assessment three times: before, after, and tracking.

RESULTS

The results showed that the total score and the scores of all subscales of aggression dropped significantly (P < 0.01). Also, the total score and the scores of objective support and utilization degree of social support increased significantly (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

G-IPT was effective in treating aggression and improving social support level, and the effect was stable.

The relationship between conscientiousness and posttraumatic stress disorder among young Chinese firefighters: The mediating effect of perceived social support

Previous studies have showed that personality traits are associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The present study investigated the mediating effect of perceived social support between conscientiousness and PTSD in young Chinese firefighters. A total of four hundred and nine firefighters were recruited from a firefighter school in this study. The Chinese big five personality inventory, the PTSD checklist for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), and perceived social support scale were used to test personality traits, PTSD and perceived social support from family and from others. The results showed that conscientiousness has a significant positive correlation with perceived social support and has a significant negative correlation with PTSD. Moreover, support from others mediated the relationship between conscientiousness and PTSD, while support from family didn't. The results of this study suggest that support from others plays a key role in the relationship between conscientiousness and PTSD of young Chinese firefighters. Clinical implications for trauma interventions and limitations were discussed.

Correlation analysis between work-related musculoskeletal disorders and the nursing practice environment, quality of life, and social support in the nursing professionals

We aim to analyze the correlated influential factors between work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) and nursing practice environment and quality of life and social support.From January 2015 to October 2015, cluster sampling was performed on the nurses from 12 hospitals in the 6 areas in Xinjiang. The questionnaires including the modified Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, Practice Environment Scale (PES), the Mos 36-item Short Form Health Survey, and Social Support Rating Scale were used to investigate. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to explore the influential factors of WMSDs.The total prevalence of WMSDs was 79.52% in the nurses ever since the working occupation, which was mainly involved waist (64.83%), neck (61.83%), and shoulder (52.36%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated age (≥26 years), working in the Department of Surgery, Department of Critical Care, Outpatient Department, and Department of Anesthesia, working duration of >40 hours per week were the risk factors of WMSDs in the nurses. The physiological function (PF), body pain, total healthy condition, adequate working force and financial support, and social support were the protective factors of WMSDs.The prevalence of WMSDs in the nurses in Xinjiang Autonomous Region was high. PF, bodily pain, total healthy condition, having adequate staff and support resources to provide quality patient care, and social support were the protective factors of WMSDs in the nurses.

How Personality Affects Vulnerability among Israelis and Palestinians following the 2009 Gaza Conflict

Can the onset of PTSD symptoms and depression be predicted by personality factors and thought control strategies? A logical explanation for the different mental health outcomes of individuals exposed to trauma would seem to be personality factors and thought control strategies. Trauma exposure is necessary but not sufficient for the development of PTSD. To this end, we assess the role of personality traits and coping styles in PTSD vulnerability among Israeli and Palestinian students amid conflict. We also determine whether gender and exposure level to trauma impact the likelihood of the onset of PTSD symptoms. Five questionnaires assess previous trauma, PTSD symptoms, demographics, personality factors and thought control strategies, which are analyzed using path analysis. Findings show that the importance of personality factors and thought control strategies in predicting vulnerability increases in the face of political violence: the higher stress, the more important the roles of personality and thought control strategies. Thought control strategies associated with introverted and less emotionally stable personality-types correlate positively with higher levels of PTSD symptoms and depression, particularly among Palestinians. By extension, because mental health is key to reducing violence in the region, PTSD reduction in conflict zones warrants rethinking.

Impact of functional and structural social relationships on two year depression outcomes: A multivariate analysis

BACKGROUND

High rates of persistent depression highlight the need to identify the risk factors associated with poor depression outcomes and to provide targeted interventions to people at high risk. Although social relationships have been implicated in depression course, interventions targeting social relationships have been disappointing. Possibly, interventions have targeted the wrong elements of relationships. Alternatively, the statistical association between relationships and depression course is not causal, but due to shared variance with other factors. We investigated whether elements of social relationships predict major depressive episode (MDE) when multiple relevant variables are considered.

METHOD

Data is from a longitudinal study of primary care patients with depressive symptoms. 494 participants completed questionnaires at baseline and a depression measure (PHQ-9) two years later. Baseline measures included functional (i.e. quality) and structural (i.e. quantity) social relationships, depression, neuroticism, chronic illness, alcohol abuse, childhood abuse, partner violence and sociodemographic characteristics. Logistic regression with generalised estimating equations was used to estimate the association between social relationships and MDE.

RESULTS

Both functional and structural social relationships predicted MDE in univariate analysis. Only functional social relationships remained significant in multivariate analysis (OR: 0.87; 95%CI: 0.79-0.97; p=0.01). Other unique predictors of MDE were baseline depression severity, neuroticism, childhood sexual abuse and intimate partner violence.

LIMITATIONS

We did not assess how a person's position in their depression trajectory influenced the association between social relationships and depression.

CONCLUSIONS

Interventions targeting relationship quality may be part of a personalised treatment plan for people at high risk due of persistent depression due to poor social relationships.

Psychosocial features of depression: a systematic literature review

BACKGROUND

Despite the great burden of depression on sufferers and society, there is a lack of reliable information regarding the full range of psychosocial difficulties associated with depression and their related variables. This systematic review aimed to demonstrate the utility of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in describing the psychosocial difficulties that shape the lived experience of persons with depression.

METHODS

An electronic search that included publications from 2005 to 2010 in the MEDLINE and PsycHINFO databases was conducted to collect psychosocial outcomes. Quality of studies was also considered.

RESULTS

103 studies were included. 477 outcomes referring psychosocial difficulties were extracted and grouped into 32 ICF related categories. Emotional functions (19% of studies), followed by energy and drive (17% of studies), were the most frequent psychosocial outcomes. The onset, course, determinants, and related variables of the most important psychosocial difficulties, reported in at least 10% of studies, were described. Medication played a dual role as determinant of onset and change in some psychosocial areas, e.g. in pain, sleep, and energy and drive.

LIMITATIONS

The search was limited by year of publication and focused only on minor and major depression diagnoses: other depressive disorders were not included. Some underresearched, but relevant psychosocial areas could have not been analyzed.

CONCLUSIONS

The present systematic review provides information on the psychosocial difficulties that depressive patients face in their daily lives. Future studies on depression should include outcome instruments that cover these relevant areas in order to comprehensively describe psychosocial functioning.

A 5-year prospective study of predictors for disability pension among patients with major depressive disorder

OBJECTIVE

There is a scarcity of prospective long-term studies on work disability caused by depression. We investigated predictors for disability pension among psychiatric patients with MDD.

METHOD

The Vantaa Depression Study followed up prospectively 269 psychiatric in- and out-patients with DSM-IV MDD for 5 years with a life chart, including 230 (91.3%) patients belonging to labour force. Information on disability pensions was obtained from interviews, patient records and registers.

RESULTS

Within 5 years, 20% of the patients belonging to labour force at baseline were granted a disability pension. In multivariate analyses, the significant baseline predictors for granted disability pension were age ≥50 years (HR = 3.91, P < 0.001), subjective inability to work (HR = 2.14, P = 0.008) and introversion (HR = 1.08, P = 0.049). When follow-up variables were included, the predictors were age more than 50 (OR = 6.25, P < 0.001), proportion of time spent depressed (OR = 14.6, P < 0.001), number of comorbid somatic disorders (OR = 1.47, P = 0.013) and lack of vocational education (OR = 2.38, P = 0.032).

CONCLUSION

Of psychiatric patients with depression, one-fifth were granted a disability pension within 5 years. Future disability pension can be predicted by baseline older age, personality factors, functional disability, lack of vocational education and comorbid somatic disorders. Longitudinally, accumulation of time spent depressed appears decisive for pensioning.