A comparison of the three year course between chronic depression and depression with multiple vs. few prior episodes

Elke Humer; Krisztina Kocsis-Bogar; Thomas Berger; Johanna Schröder; Christina Späth; Björn Meyer; Steffen Moritz; Wolfgang Lutz; Thomas Probst; Jan Philipp Klein

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113235

A comparison of the three year course between chronic depression and depression with multiple vs. few prior episodes

Psychiatry Res. 2020 Sep:291:113235. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113235. Epub 2020 Jun 15.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department for Psychotherapy and Biopsychosocial Health, Danube University Krems, Krems, Austria.
² Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
³ Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical-Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Lübeck University, 23538 Lübeck, Germany.
⁵ Research Department, Gaia AG, Hamburg, Germany; Department of Psychology, City, University of London, United Kingdom.
⁶ Department of Psychology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany.
⁷ Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Lübeck University, 23538 Lübeck, Germany. Electronic address: philipp.klein@uksh.de.

PMID: 32599445
DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113235

Abstract

This study tested the hypothesis that chronic depression (CD) is more similar to depression with multiple prior episodes (ME) than to depression with few prior episodes (FE). Data from participants (n = 1013) with mild to moderate depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-9] score 5 - 14) who took part in a randomized control trial of an internet intervention for depression (EVIDENT trial) were re-analyzed. The MINI-interview was conducted to diagnose CD (n = 376). If CD was not diagnosed, the self-reported number of depressive episodes was used to categorize participants as having episodic depression with up to five (FE, n = 422) or more than five (ME, n = 215) prior episodes. Over a three-year period, participants were assessed repeatedly regarding the course of depression (PHQ-9, QIDS), quality of life (SF-12) and therapeutic progress (FEP-2). At baseline, most scores were different between CD and FE but comparable between CD and ME. Time to remission did not differ between CD and ME but was longer in CD compared to FE. Results suggest that ME closely resembles CD and that CD differs from FE.

Keywords: Dysthymic disorder; Mood disorders; Quality of life; Web-based.

Publication types

Comparative Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Chronic Disease
Depression / psychology*
Depressive Disorder, Major / psychology*
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Patient Health Questionnaire
Quality of Life / psychology
Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
Self Report
Time Factors