Major Depressive Disorder Symptomatology Research Articles

Differences in Depressive Symptom Profile by Age Group in Koreans With Major Depressive Disorder: Results From Nationwide General Population Surveys.

This study investigated to what extent a range of depressive symptoms was differentially present depending on age group in Korean population. Data was pooled from five nationally representative surveys in which 29,418 respondents aged at least 18 years were interviewed face-to-face using the Korean version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. A total of 691 (2.1%) respondents were found to have had at least 1 episode of major depressive disorder (MDD) within the last 12 months. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the association between age groups (18-39 years, 40-59 years, and 60 years or older) and 26 depressive symptoms among the respondents with MDD. Associations were observed between somatic symptoms-including insomnia, awakening 2 h earlier-and cognitive symptoms such as feelings of guilt, thoughts of death, and suicidal ideation with the older age group. Whereas, atypical depressive symptoms such as increased appetite, weight gain, and hypersomnia were associated with the younger age group. When adjusted for sociodemographic factors, symptoms such as depressed mood, awakening 2 h earlier, and feeling guilty in the older age group, and hypersomnia, psychomotor retardation, and worse in the morning in the younger age group still remained statistically significant. Furthermore, fatigue and decreased libido were newly associated with the younger age group. The findings of this study revealed distinct patterns of symptomatology in MDD based on age groups. These differences should be considered owing to their potential relevance to treatment response and prognosis in the clinical setting.

Network analysis of depressive symptoms and C-reactive protein levels in major depressive disorder

BackgroundC-reactive protein (CRP) levels have been implicated in the severity and symptomatology of major depressive disorder (MDD). The aim of this study was to explore the structure of depressive symptoms in patients with MDD according to different groups of CRP levels using network analysis. MethodsThe study included 864 individuals (mean age = 54.05, 67.48 % male) diagnosed with MDD from the 2015–2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Analyses examined how depressive symptoms and CRP level were related to each other, and how the network structure of depressive symptoms differed across groups with different CRP levels. ResultsA direct positive correlation was observed between CRP levels and specific depressive symptoms (e.g., appetite change, energy loss, and feelings of worthlessness). Moreover, there was a stronger correlation between depressive symptoms in the medium CRP and high CRP groups compared to the low CRP group. Furthermore, it was observed that there were notable structural differences between the high-CRP and moderate-CRP groups. LimitationsThe study is based on cross-sectional data, which precludes the drawing of causal conclusions. Furthermore, it does not take into account confounding factors such as body mass index (BMI) and lifestyle. ConclusionsThe findings underscore the pivotal role of CRP as a marker of the severity of depressive symptoms. Routine CRP level testing and anti-inflammatory therapies may be beneficial for depressed patients with elevated CRP levels in clinical practice.

Linking Digital Traits from Facial Expression, Voice, and Head Motion to Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale Subscales

IntroductionThe 10-item Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) measures different dimensions of depression symptomatology. Digital traits may generate deeper understanding of the MADRS subscales and provide insights about depression symptomatology.ObjectivesTo identify digital traits that predict specific MADRS subscales and ascertain which digital traits are important for which MADRS subscales.Methods During a Phase II decentralised clinical trial in major depressive disorder (MDD), patients completed the MADRS and used AiCure (LLC, New York, NY, USA), a smartphone application, to complete image description tasks at baseline. Digital measurements identified from the literature as relevant to MDD symptomatology were conducted using audio and video data derived from the image description tasks. Digital measurements included speech (rate, sentiment and first-person singular pronouns), vocal acoustics (intensity, pause fraction and fundamental frequency), facial expressivity (regional facial movement) and head pose (Euclidean and angular head movement). Digital traits analysis involved data pre-processing followed by machine learning (ML) using Elastic Net, Decision Tree, and Random Forest models; model performance was evaluated using 5-fold cross-validation and mean absolute error (MAE). Important digital traits were calculated by percentage change in MAE after permuting a specific variable. Important digital traits for the MADRS Apparent Sadness subscale score were mapped to defined, interpretable domains.ResultsThe ML model predictions varied for different MADRS subscales (Table). Overall, Elastic Net and Random Forest models outperformed Decision Tree across all subscales scores other than suicidal thoughts. Half of the literature-based digital traits contributed to the prediction of ≥1 MADRS sadness sub-scale score. The important digital traits for the Apparent Sadness subscale score could be mapped to 4 domains (Figure); this aligned with findings from the literature.Image:Image 2:ConclusionsDigital traits collected from patients with MDD were able to predict certain MADRS subscales better than others.FundingBoehringer Ingelheim.Disclosure of InterestZ. Zhu Employee of: Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Y. Wu Employee of: Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., J. Seidel Employee of: Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, D. Roy Employee of: Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., E. Salzmann Employee of: Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH

A Comparative Efficacy of Antidepressants in the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) affects about 280, 000, 000 people globally, with a higher incidence among females than males. The increasing incidence implicates health burdens and clinical dilemmas regarding the low efficacy of the existing antidepressants. A literature search was performed on electronic databases, PubMed, the Cochrane Library of Randomized Trials, Scopus, and ProQuest, for studies reporting the efficacy of an SNRI (Desvenlafaxine 50 mg/d), a serotonin modulator (Vortioxetine 10-20 mg/d), and an aminoketone antidepressant (Bupropion). Study selection focused on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies. All statistical analyses and visualization were performed using the Review Manager (RevMan) software and Python programming. The random effects model, ANOVA test, and Cohen’s d were used for statistical analyses. The present meta-analysis involved 17 studies, including 11, 533 participants. The results aligned with previous studies and accounts provided by literature regarding the efficacy of antidepressants used to manage MDD. Five studies, including 2, 377 MDD patients, reported a statistically significant outcome, that Desvenlafaxine 50 mg/d reduced MDD’s severity than placebo (OR: 0.52, 95% CI [0.44, 0.62], P < 0.00001, I2 = 0%). Three studies involving 742 MDD patients reported the efficacy of dextromethorphan-bupropion (AXS-50). The reduction of MADRS scores in the treatment group was statistically insignificant, with high variability, favouring the placebo (OR of 1.85 [95% CI: 0.93, 3.70], p = 0.08, I2 = 79%). Additionally, Vortioxetine 10-20 mg/d produced adverse effects, headache, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, nasopharyngitis, somnolence, and suicidal ideation among 6, 669 MDD patients reported by the 9 studies. The finding was statistically significant but with a high variability OR: 15.25, 95% CI [12.55, 18.52], P < 0.00001, I2 = 98%). A preliminary analysis of evidence collected following Desvenlafaxine, AXS-50, and Vortioxetine administration yielded compelling evidence on the efficacy of antidepressants in MDD treatment. Desvenlafaxine and AXS-50 reported reduced severity and symptomatology in MDD, respectively. On the other hand, Vortioxetine implicated adverse effects, which are common with most antidepressants. Despite adverse effects like headache, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, nasopharyngitis, somnolence, and suicidal ideation, antidepressants used to treat MDD yield clinically satisfying outcomes like decreased severity of depression and relief from symptoms. Clinicians should monitor patients to take care of any adverse effects resulting from the treatments. Keywords: Antidepressant efficacy, adverse effects, major depressive disorder, MDD symptomatology, severity, improved outcomes.

A Comparative Efficacy of Antidepressants in the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Study background & objective: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) affects about 280, 000, 000 people globally, with a higher incidence among females than males. The increasing incidence implicates health burdens and clinical dilemmas regarding the low efficacy of the existing antidepressants. Methods: A literature search was performed on electronic databases, PubMed, the Cochrane Library of Randomized Trials, Scopus, and ProQuest, for studies reporting the efficacy of an SNRI (Desvenlafaxine 50 mg/d), a serotonin modulator (Vortioxetine 10-20 mg/d), and an aminoketone antidepressant (Bupropion). Study selection focused on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies. All statistical analyses and visualization were performed using the Review Manager (RevMan) software and Python programming. The random effects model, ANOVA test, and Cohen’s d were used for statistical analyses. Results: The present meta-analysis involved 17 studies, including 11, 533 participants. The results aligned with previous studies and accounts provided by literature regarding the efficacy of antidepressants used to manage MDD. Five studies, including 2, 377 MDD patients, reported a statistically significant outcome, that Desvenlafaxine 50 mg/d reduced MDD’s severity than placebo (OR: 0.52, 95% CI [0.44, 0.62], P < 0.00001, I2 = 0%). Three studies involving 742 MDD patients reported the efficacy of dextromethorphan-bupropion (AXS-50). The reduction of MADRS scores in the treatment group was statistically insignificant, with high variability, favouring the placebo (OR of 1.85 [95% CI: 0.93, 3.70], p = 0.08, I2 = 79%). Additionally, Vortioxetine 10-20 mg/d produced adverse effects, headache, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, nasopharyngitis, somnolence, and suicidal ideation among 6, 669 MDD patients reported by the 9 studies. The finding was statistically significant but with a high variability OR: 15.25, 95% CI [12.55, 18.52], P < 0.00001, I2 = 98%). Discussion: A preliminary analysis of evidence collected following Desvenlafaxine, AXS-50, and Vortioxetine administration yielded compelling evidence on the efficacy of antidepressants in MDD treatment. Desvenlafaxine and AXS-50 reported reduced severity and symptomatology in MDD, respectively. On the other hand, Vortioxetine implicated adverse effects, which are common with most antidepressants. Conclusion: Despite adverse effects like headache, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, nasopharyngitis, somnolence, and suicidal ideation, antidepressants used to treat MDD yield clinically satisfying outcomes like decreased severity of depression and relief from symptoms. Clinicians should monitor patients to take care of any adverse effects resulting from the treatments.

Characteristics and symptomatology of major depressive disorder with atypical features from symptom to syndromal level

ObjectiveTo explore clinical characteristics and symptomatology of major depressive disorder (MDD) with atypical features based on DSM criteria or only reversed vegetative symptoms. MethodA total of 3187 patients who met DSM-IV TR criteria for MDD were enrolled. Demographics and symptomatology covering multiple symptom domains were assessed and compared between three groups of cases: those who met DSM criteria for atypical specifier (the DAD group), those who had at least one reversed vegetative symptoms (hypersomnia or hyperphagia) (the SAD group) without meeting DSM atypical specifier criteria, and those without any reversed vegetative symptoms (the NAD group). ResultsThe DAD and SAD group accounted for 4.4% and 14.4% of the participants, respectively. The DAD cases were characterized by a highest proportion of hospitalizations, longest duration of current episode and worst quality of life. The DAD and SAD cases were more likely to adopt unhealthy behaviors (smoking and alcohol drinking). Most depressive symptoms related to higher illness severity and treatment resistance were more frequent in the DAD cases, followed by the SAD cases, and least frequent in the NAD cases. LimitationsA cross-sectional design and a non-validated questionnaire were used. ConclusionsThe findings support the role of DSM defined atypical depression as a valid MDD subtype and provide evidence for clinical utility of the simplified approach of defining atypical features based on only reversed vegetative symptoms. This has implications for illness screening, public health, suicide prevention and better treatment planning for depressed individuals with atypical features even below syndromal level.

Prospective study on Maresin-1 and cytokine levels in medication-naïve adolescents with first-episode major depressive disorder.

Inflammation and immune activation may play a role in the pathological mechanism of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Evidence from cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of adolescents and adults has shown that MDD is associated with increased plasma pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1β, IL-6). It has been reported that Specialized Pro-resolving Mediators (SPMs) mediate inflammation resolution, and Maresin-1 can activate the process of inflammation and promote inflammation resolution by promoting macrophage phagocytosis. However, no clinical studies have been conducted to evaluate the relationship between the levels of Maresin-1 and cytokine and the severity of MDD symptomatology in adolescents. 40 untreated adolescent patients with primary and moderate to severe MDD and 30 healthy participants as the healthy control (HC) group aged between 13 and 18 years old were enrolled. They received clinical and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17) evaluation and then, blood samples were collected. Patients in the MDD group were re-evaluated for HDRS-17, and blood samples were taken after a six to eight-week fluoxetine treatment. The adolescent patients with MDD had lower serum levels of Maresin-1 and higher serum levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6) compared with the HC group. Fluoxetine treatment alleviated depressive symptoms in MDD adolescent patients, which was reflected by higher serum levels of Maresin-1 and IL-4 and lower HDRS-17 scores, serum levels of IL-6, and IL-1β. Moreover, the serum level of Maresin-1 was negatively correlated with the depression severity scores on the HDRS-17. Adolescent patients with primary MDD had lower levels of Maresin-1 and higher levels of IL-6 compared with the HC group, implying that the peripheral level of pro-inflammatory cytokines may be elevated in MDD, resulting in the insufficiency of inflammation resolution. The Maresin-1 and IL-4 levels increased after anti-depressant treatment, whereas IL-6 and IL-1β levels decreased significantly. Moreover, Maresin-1 level negatively correlated with depression severity, suggesting that reduced levels of Maresin-1 promoted the progression of MDD.

The KDEP Trial: Protocol for a phase II, multicenter, open label, randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of ketogenic diet for symptomatic improvement of moderate to severe Major Depressive Disorder

Introduction: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a disease with a high economic burden across the world, mainly secondary to a decrease in work performance and pill burden. Ketogenic diet is a type of non-pharmacological intervention that is employed in the treatment of refractory epilepsy and has shown promise for the treatment of other psychiatric disorders, including depression. Up to the date, there is a limited number of investigations regarding this topic, making the knowledge very scarce; therefore, our study will assess the clinical efficacy of ketogenic diet, particularly Modified Atkins Diet, as compared to control diet in adults with diagnostic of MDD on standard treatment without resolution of symptoms as a difference in Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) from baseline at the third month follow-up visit. Methods: This is a phase II, multicenter, randomized, controlled, open-label, parallel-group, superiority trial with blinded endpoints. Sample size was calculated as 132 participants (66 participants per arm) to maintain a power of 80% and a two-sided significance level of 0.05. The primary endpoint is the improvement in MDD symptomatology measured by MADRS scale at 3 months from baseline. Discussion: There is evidence to support the notion that ketogenic diet improves patients symptoms by increasing levels of several molecules resulting in a decrease of neuroinflammation and an increase of neurogenesis, improving mood disorders. We hypothesize that a ketogenic diet will improve depressive symptoms in patients with moderate to severe depression when compared to patients on a control diet.

Family Conflict Associated With Intrinsic Hippocampal-OFC Connectivity in Adolescent Depressive Disorder.

BackgroundFamily environment and life events have long been suggested to be associated with adolescent depression. The hippocampus plays a crucial role in the neural mechanism of major depressive disorder (MDD) through memory during stressful events. However, few studies have explored the exact neural mechanisms underlying these associations. Thus, the current study aimed to explore alterations in hippocampal functional connectivity (FC) in adolescent MDD based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and further investigate the relationship between hippocampal FC, environmental factors, and clinical symptom severity.MethodsHippocampal FC was calculated using the seed-based approach with the bilateral hippocampus as the seed for 111 adolescents with and without MDD; comparisons were made between participants with MDD and controls. We applied the Chinese version of the Family Environment Scale (FES-CV) and Adolescents Self-Rating Life Events Checklist (ASLEC) to evaluate family environment and life stress. Their relationship with hippocampal FC alterations was also investigated.ResultsWe found that compared to controls, adolescents with MDD showed decreased connectivity between the left hippocampus and bilateral orbital frontal cortex (OFC) and right inferior temporal gyrus. In addition, the hippocampal-OFC connectivity was negatively correlated with conflict scores of the FES-CV in the MDD group and mediated the association between family conflict and depressive and anxiety symptoms.ConclusionOur findings are novel in the field and demonstrate how family conflict contributes to MDD symptomatology through hippocampal-OFC connectivity; these findings may provide potential targets for personalized treatment strategies.

Toward an Extended Definition of Major Depressive Disorder Symptomatology: Digital Assessment and Cross-validation Study.

BackgroundDiagnosing major depressive disorder (MDD) is challenging, with diagnostic manuals failing to capture the wide range of clinical symptoms that are endorsed by individuals with this condition.ObjectiveThis study aims to provide evidence for an extended definition of MDD symptomatology.MethodsSymptom data were collected via a digital assessment developed for a delta study. Random forest classification with nested cross-validation was used to distinguish between individuals with MDD and those with subthreshold symptomatology of the disorder using disorder-specific symptoms and transdiagnostic symptoms. The diagnostic performance of the Patient Health Questionnaire–9 was also examined.ResultsA depression-specific model demonstrated good predictive performance when distinguishing between individuals with MDD (n=64) and those with subthreshold depression (n=140) (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve=0.89; sensitivity=82.4%; specificity=81.3%; accuracy=81.6%). The inclusion of transdiagnostic symptoms of psychopathology, including symptoms of depression, generalized anxiety disorder, insomnia, emotional instability, and panic disorder, significantly improved the model performance (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve=0.95; sensitivity=86.5%; specificity=90.8%; accuracy=89.5%). The Patient Health Questionnaire–9 was excellent at identifying MDD but overdiagnosed the condition (sensitivity=92.2%; specificity=54.3%; accuracy=66.2%).ConclusionsOur findings are in line with the notion that current diagnostic practices may present an overly narrow conception of mental health. Furthermore, our study provides proof-of-concept support for the clinical utility of a digital assessment to inform clinical decision-making in the evaluation of MDD.

Respiratory-gated auricular vagal afferent nerve stimulation (RAVANS) modulates brain response to stress in major depression

BackgroundNegative stress significantly impacts major depressive disorder (MDD), given the shared brain circuitry between the stress response and mood. Thus, interventions that target this circuitry will have an important impact on MDD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the acute effects of a novel respiratory-gated auricular vagal afferent nerve stimulation (RAVANS) technique in the modulation of brain activity and connectivity in women with MDD in response to negative stressful stimuli. MethodsTwenty premenopausal women with recurrent MDD in an active episode were included in a cross-over experimental study that included two functional MRI visits within one week, randomized to receive exhalatory- (e-RAVANS) or inhalatory-gated (i-RAVANS) at each visit. Subjects were exposed to a visual stress challenge that preceded and followed RAVANS. A Factorial analysis was used to evaluate the effects of RAVANS on brain activity and connectivity and changes in depressive and anxiety symptomatology post-stress. ResultsCompared with i-RAVANS, e-RAVANS was significantly associated with increased activation of subgenual anterior cingulate, orbitofrontal and ventromedial prefrontal cortices and increased connectivity between hypothalamus and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and from nucleus tractus solitarii to locus coeruleus and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Changes in brain activity and connectivity after e-RAVANS were significantly associated with a reduction in depressive and anxiety symptoms. ConclusionsOur study suggests exhalatory-gated RAVANS effectively modulates brain circuitries regulating response to negative stress and is associated with significant acute reduction of depressive and anxiety symptomatology in women with recurrent MDD. Findings suggest a potential non-pharmacologic intervention for acute relief of depressive symptomatology in MDD.

Guanine-Based Purines as an Innovative Target to Treat Major Depressive Disorder.

Guanine-Based Purines as an Innovative Target to Treat Major Depressive Disorder.

Effects of unilateral tDCS over left prefrontal cortex on emotion regulation in depression: Evidence from concurrent functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the most common mood disorder and a primary cause of disability worldwide. MDD symptomatology entails disturbances in emotion regulation, namely one's ability to modify the intensity and duration of emotional reactions towards affective events. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has emerged as a promising treatment for MDD. Yet, positive tDCS outcomes vary across studies, while the precise effects of the procedure for cortical excitability in MDD during emotion regulation remain largely unexplored. Here, we leveraged functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)-compatible tDCS technology to examine the functional consequences of a unilateral anodal tDCS montage at 1.5 mA over left PFC (area F3; with the reference electrode over an extracephalic location) for brain activity during an emotion-regulation task in MDD patients and age-matched healthy control subjects. Our results revealed down-regulation of negative emotions in the right amygdala and visual cortex of healthy controls but not MDD patients prior to stimulation, the degree of which correlated with the magnitude of the participants' reappraisal scores. TDCS did not elicit significant changes in neural activation patterns for either group. These findings contribute to the literature on the pathophysiology of MDD by showing that a key disturbance in the disorder entails the ineffective down-regulation of activity not only within the amygdala, but also within visual cortical areas in response to negative information. Further, these results suggest that relative to bifrontal tDCS montages, unilateral stimulation of moderate intensity over left PFC may not be sufficient to elicit therapeutic effects for MDD.

Development and preliminary validation of a depressive symptomatology detection scale among children and adolescents on the autism spectrum.

Many individuals on the autism spectrum experience depressive symptoms. These symptoms contribute to poor quality of life and may have a more negative impact than core autistic features. However, identifying depressive symptoms among individuals on the spectrum is a real challenge. In this study, we investigate the psychometric qualities of a French scale for evaluating depressive symptoms among youth on the autism spectrum. Participants were 153 autistic children and adolescents aged between 3 and 17 years. The majority of the sample was male (73.86%). One of their parents completed the scale for evaluating depressive symptoms among youth on the autism spectrum during an interview with a psychologist. Overall, the findings indicate the scale may be reliably used with children and adolescents on the autism spectrum. Experts deemed the items as being representative of depressive symptoms. The scale is composed of two factors: behavioral changes on one hand and cognitive and emotional changes on the other. The results are encouraging and show the scale is a promising instrument for assessing Major Depressive Disorder symptomatology among youth on the spectrum. Future studies should focus on testing this scale among adults and developing an auto-evaluative section.

White matter fiber microstructure is associated with prior hospitalizations rather than acute symptomatology in major depressive disorder.

Eighty percent of all patients suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD) relapse at least once in their lifetime. Thus, understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of the course of MDD is of utmost importance. A detrimental course of illness in MDD was most consistently associated with superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) fiber integrity. As similar associations were, however, found between SLF fiber integrity and acute symptomatology, this study attempts to disentangle associations attributed to current depression from long-term course of illness. A total of 531 patients suffering from acute (N = 250) or remitted (N = 281) MDD from the FOR2107-cohort were analyzed in this cross-sectional study using tract-based spatial statistics for diffusion tensor imaging. First, the effects of disease state (acute v. remitted), current symptom severity (BDI-score) and course of illness (number of hospitalizations) on fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD), and axial diffusivity were analyzed separately. Second, disease state and BDI-scores were analyzed in conjunction with the number of hospitalizations to disentangle their effects. Disease state (pFWE < 0.042) and number of hospitalizations (pFWE< 0.032) were associated with decreased FA and increased MD and RD in the bilateral SLF. A trend was found for the BDI-score (pFWE > 0.067). When analyzed simultaneously only the effect of course of illness remained significant (pFWE < 0.040) mapping to the right SLF. Decreased FA and increased MD and RD values in the SLF are associated with more hospitalizations when controlling for current psychopathology. SLF fiber integrity could reflect cumulative illness burden at a neurobiological level and should be targeted in future longitudinal analyses.

The Centrality of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Major Depressive Disorder Determined Using a Network Analysis

Abstract Background : Comorbid anxiety symptoms are highly prevalent and closely linked with poorer treatment outcomes, chronicity, and hospitalization in major depressive disorder (MDD). Our study aimed to estimate the network of depression and anxiety symptoms that was developed based on a sample of MDD patients. Methods : We constructed a network of the 21 Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) symptoms and 21 Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) symptoms in 223 patients with MDD who were beginning psychiatric treatment. In addition, each of the depression and anxiety symptoms was considered to be an ordered categorical variable ranging in value from 0 to 3. Results : The three depression symptoms including loss of energy, loss of interest, and worthlessness and the seven anxiety symptoms including faintness or lightheadedness, feeling of choking, feeling scared, fear of the worst happening, nervousness, inability to relax, and feeling shaky were identified as the ten most central nodes within a network of depression and anxiety symptoms. The inter-connection between irritability and nervousness was a strong trans-diagnostic edge within the network of depression and anxiety symptoms. Limitations : Because our study was designed in a cross-sectional manner, the networks were estimated undirectionally. Conclusions : Our findings show that depression symptoms are not more central than anxiety symptoms within an estimated network structure of symptoms in patients with MDD. Moreover, the inter-connection between irritability and nervousness may suggests a probable trans-diagnostic association in MDD symptomatology.

The Centrality of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Major Depressive Disorder Determined Using a Network Analysis

Background: Comorbid anxiety symptoms are highly prevalent and closely linked with poorer treatment outcomes, chronicity, and hospitalization in major depressive disorder (MDD). Our study aimed to estimate the network of depression and anxiety symptoms that was developed based on a sample of MDD patients. Methods: We constructed a network of the 21 Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) symptoms and 21 Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) symptoms in 223 patients with MDD who were beginning psychiatric treatment. In addition, each of the depression and anxiety symptoms was considered to be an ordered categorical variable ranging in value from 0 to 3. Results: The three depression symptoms including loss of energy, loss of interest, and worthlessness and the seven anxiety symptoms including faintness or lightheadedness, feeling of choking, feeling scared, fear of the worst happening, nervousness, inability to relax, and feeling shaky were identified as the ten most central nodes within a network of depression and anxiety symptoms. The inter-connection between irritability and nervousness was a strong trans-diagnostic edge within the network of depression and anxiety symptoms. Limitations: Because our study was designed in a cross-sectional manner, the networks were estimated undirectionally. Conclusions: Our findings show that depression symptoms are not more central than anxiety symptoms within an estimated network structure of symptoms in patients with MDD. Moreover, the inter-connection between irritability and nervousness may suggests a probable trans-diagnostic association in MDD symptomatology.

Levels of Childhood Traumatic Experiences and Dissociative Symptoms in Patients with Major Depression: Is Dissociative Depression Real?

Background: A possible relationship between major depressive disorder (MDD) and, childhood traumatic experiences and dissociation has been proposed. This study assesses childhood traumatic experiences, the dissociative, depressive, and anxiety symptoms in patients with MDD, and aims to question the reality of dissociative depression Methods: The 99 psychotropic drug-naive patients participating in the study met the DSM-V criteria for MDD. Dissociation Questionnaire (DIS-Q), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) were applied. Results: The patients were divided into two groups using the DIS-Q (DIS-Q < 2.5 and DIS-Q ≥ 2.5) and the groups were compared. The study demonstrated that patients with high dissociative scores return significantly higher depression and anxiety scores than those with low dissociation and that the high dissociative group returned elevated emotional, sexual, and physical abuse scores compared to the low dissociative group. In the logistic regression analysis, the onset age of MDD (< 30 years), BDI, and BAI scores (scores ≥30) increased the participants’ likelihood of having DIS-Q ≥ 2.5. Conclusions: Results suggest that dissociative symptomatology in MDD may about early-onset age of MDD, childhood traumatic experiences, and severity level of both depression and anxiety. The clinician should carefully consider whether dissociation is a concomitant condition or a significant problem when working with patients with both depression and dissociation. However, clinicians should not neglect the underlying childhood traumatic experiences among these patients.

Prevalence of Clinical Depression among Patients after Shoulder Stabilization Repair: A Prospective Study

Objectives: Young, athletic patients who sustain a musculoskeletal injury can suffer from major depressive disorder (MDD), either pre-existing the injury, or in response to injury. Depression can have deleterious effects on mental and physical well-being, and can ultimately lead to suicide. In fact, suicide may represent over 7% of deaths in young, high-level athletes. Therefore, it is paramount among surgeons to recognize vulnerable patient populations. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine the prevalence of MDD in patients with shoulder instability and its’ effect on outcomes in patients undergoing primary arthroscopic shoulder stabilization. Methods: Eighty-eight patients undergoing primary arthroscopic shoulder stabilization were prospectively enrolled and queried at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year. Depression symptoms were assessed with the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS-SR16). MDD diagnosis was defined as a QIDS-SR16 score ≥6. Shoulder functionality was assessed with the Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index (WOSI). Patients were grouped based on their MDD symptomatology preoperatively into MDD and Non-MDD groups. T-test analysis was used to compare outcomes between the groups. Results: The average age of patients on the day of surgery was 29.9 years old. Seventy-four (84.1%) participants were male, while 14 (15.9%) were female. Of the 88 patients enrolled, 44 (50%) met MDD criteria. Baseline averaged WOSI scores for the MDD cohort were worse than the non-MDD group (p= 0.016), 64.9% and 55.0%, respectively. Shoulder function, measured via the WOSI score, significantly improved throughout the study except at the 6-week follow-up point; however, the MDD group continued to have worse shoulder function at 6 weeks post-op (p= 0.04), 6 months post-op (p=0.03) and 1 year post-op (p&lt; 0.01). There was no significant difference in mean WOSI score between the MDD and non-MDD group at 3 months (p= 0.16). WOSI scores at 1-year for the MDD and non-MDD cohort were 21.1% and 8.9%, respectively. MDD diagnosis increased at the 6-week time point (p= 0.023); however, it declined during the rest of the study period (p&lt; 0.01). Conclusion: A significant proportion of patients with shoulder instability exhibit depression symptoms (50% in this series). Our results suggest that pre-operative depression negatively correlates with shoulder outcome functionality. Interestingly, arthroscopic shoulder stabilization can lead to post-operative depression; however, by 3-months there is a strong reversal of this effect, with significant reduction of depression symptoms in all patients. This effect may be secondary to the significant physical limitations caused by shoulder immobilization protocols for the first 6 weeks. As patients regain shoulder strength, stability and function, they exhibit less depression symptoms, indicating surgical intervention can significantly decrease depression symptoms that are secondary to musculoskeletal injuries.

Spiritual struggles and mental health outcomes in a spiritually integrated inpatient program

BackgroundPersons contending with serious mental health difficulties often experience struggles with religious faith and/or spirituality that may also demand clinical attention. However, research has not examined the relative importance of specific forms of spiritual struggles in mental health status or treatment outcomes of psychiatric patients. MethodsFocusing on 217 adults who completed a spiritually integrated inpatient program, this study examined (1) which struggles in Exline et al.’s (2014) framework (Divine, Morality, Ultimate Meaning, Interpersonal, Demonic, and Doubting) represented the most salient indicators of major depressive disorder (MDD) symptomatology and positive mental health (PMH) and (2) whether alleviation of these struggles predicted improvements in patients’ mental health status over the treatment period. ResultsGreater severity of spiritual struggles was generally associated with worse MDD symptomatology and less PMH at intake and discharge. However, when weighing the role of varying forms of struggles, issues with ultimate meaning emerged as a salient indicator of mental health status at the two assessments as well as longitudinal changes in both MDD symptomatology and PMH. LimitationsThis sample was recruited from acute stabilization units in a single spiritually integrated behavioral health center with a general affiliation with Christianity. Hence, treatment periods were relatively brief in some cases and findings might not generalize to other psychiatric programs or settings. ConclusionsFindings highlight the utility of assessing prominent forms of spiritual distress for planning and delivering psychosocial interventions, particularly with respect to issues related to a perceived absence of ultimate meaning in life.