title: Symptomatic recovery and social functioning in major depression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether social functional recovery precedes, runs in parallel with, or lags behind symptomatic recovery from major depressive episodes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Psychiatric out-patients or in-patients aged 18 years or over, diagnosed with unipolar major depressive disorder according to DSM-IV, and who had received no antidepressant medication in the preceding 3 months were identified at 23 collaborating centres from all over Japan (n=95). They were rated with the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) and the Global Assessment Scale (GAS) monthly, and with the Social Adjustment Scale-Self Report (SAS-SR) 6-monthly. Remission was defined as 7 or less on the HRSD and recovery as 2 or more consecutive months of remission.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The GAS ratings showed continuous amelioration from baseline to remission, remission to recovery, and after sustained recovery. The same trends were observed for SAS-SR scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We can expect further amelioration in social adjustment after symptomatic remission and recovery of major depressive episodes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya City University Medical School, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Furukawa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hiroe
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mashiko
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kamei
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kitamura
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahashi
mesh_terms: D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012919:Social Behavior