Citation

Serafini G, Gonda X, Canepa G, Geoffroy PA, Pompili M, Amore M. Front. Psychiatry 2020; 11.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Frontiers Media)

DOI

10.3389/fpsyt.2020.566017

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Stressful life events (SLE) may influence the illness course and outcome. This study aimed to characterize socio-demographic and clinical features of euthymic major depressive disorder (MDD) outpatients with SLE compared with those without.

METHODS: The present sample included 628 (mean age=55.1 ± 16.1) currently euthymic MDD outpatients of whom 250 (39.8%) reported SLE and 378 (60.2%) did not.

RESULTS: After univariate analyses, outpatients with SLE were most frequently widowed and lived predominantly with friends/others. Moreover, relative to outpatients without SLE, those with SLE were more likely to have a family history of suicidal behavior, manifested melancholic features, report a higher Coping Orientation to the Problems Experienced (COPE) positive reinterpretation/growth and less likely to have a comorbid panic disorder, residual interepisodic symptoms, use previous psychiatric medications, and currently use of antidepressants. Having a family history of suicide (OR=9.697; p=≤.05), history of psychotropic medications use (OR=2.888; p=≤.05), and reduced use of antidepressants (OR=.321; p=.001) were significantly associated with SLE after regression analyses. Mediation analyses showed that the association between current use of antidepressants and SLE was mediated by previous psychiatric medications.

CONCLUSION: Having a family history of suicide, history of psychotropic medications use, and reduced use of antidepressants is linked to a specific "at risk" profile characterized by the enhanced vulnerability to experience SLE. © Copyright © 2020 Serafini, Gonda, Canepa, Geoffroy, Pompili and Amore.

Language: en

Keywords

adult; human; female; male; aged; stress; drug use; major depressive disorder; major depression; suicidal behavior; comorbidity; outpatient; major clinical study; antidepressant agent; life event; clinical feature; social aspect; panic; psychotropic agent; melancholia; family history; demography; widow; friend; Article; medical history; antidepressant medications; family history of suicide; negative distressing/stressful life events; previous psychiatric medications