Cognitive, physiological, and personality correlates of recurrence of depression.
BACKGROUND
The risk of recurrence in depressive disorder is high and increases with the number of episodes. We investigated whether individuals with a history of recurrent depression deviate from individuals with a single episode, as regards risk-related variables in 3 different domains of depression research.


METHODS
Participants were 102 outpatients with major depressive disorder remitted from an episode (60 recurrent, 42 nonrecurrent). We assessed the perception of emotions from vocal stimuli, 24-h urinary free cortisol, and neuroticism.


RESULTS
The recurrent group had higher cortisol levels than the nonrecurrent group, and recurrent women also had a more negative perception than nonrecurrent women. These results were independent of each other, and could also not be accounted for by neuroticism or residual symptoms. Gender differences were found in all 3 domains.


CONCLUSIONS
The cross-sectional design limits the possibility to draw conclusions on the causality of the observed effects.


CONCLUSIONS
Remitted outpatients with recurrent depression deviate from remitted outpatients with single episode depression as regards physiology and social cognition, in a way that may increase their risk of the development of subsequent episodes. The results may have implications for prophylactic treatment strategies.
Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, PO Box 30.001, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands. e.h.bos@med.rug.nl
Elisabeth H
EH
Bos
Antoinette L
AL
Bouhuys
Erwin
E
Geerts
Titus W D P
TW
Van Os
Ingrid D
ID
Van der Spoel
Wiebo H
WH
Brouwer
Johan
J
Ormel
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D012008:Recurrence; D012737:Sex Factors; D012938:Social Perception
D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D006854:Hydrocortisone