Yokoyama S, Okada G, Takagaki K, Itai E, Kambara K, Mitsuyama Y, Shinzato H, Masuda Y, Jinnin R, Okamoto Y. Trace of depression: network structure of depressive symptoms in different clinical conditions.
Eur Psychiatry 2022;
65:1-30. [PMID:
35272734 PMCID:
PMC8988270 DOI:
10.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.12]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
Psychopathological network model has received attention recently in the traditional debate about the continuity of depression. However, there is little evidence for comparing the network structure of depressive symptoms in several depressive states at different clinical stages. Through this study of a broad sample of patients with nonclinical to clinical depression, we examined differences in the network structure of depressive symptoms.
Methods
Four groups of participants, including cohorts of clinical depression (current depression, n = 294; remitted depression, n = 118) and nonclinical depression (subthreshold depression, N = 184; healthy control, n = 257), responded to Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). After adjusting for age and sex, the residual scores of the 21 BDI-II items were input into a regularized partial correlation network for each group. Then, the estimated edge strengths/densities and node characteristics were compared.
Results
Current depression has a discontinuous structure with a stronger and denser network of symptoms compared with nonclinical groups. Interestingly, remitted depression had improved to the level in healthy controls; however, it retained the same network structure as current depression, which indicates a trace of depression.
Conclusions
We found the traces of depression that remained even after the symptoms disappeared. This study might provide a novel framework for elucidating the development and formation of depression.
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