title: Major depressive disorder in persons exposed to trauma: relationship between emotional intelligence and social support.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Traumatic events are often linked to the onset of major depressive disorder (MDD) and for the increase of nonremittance of symptoms; however, psychological factors that contribute to the relationship between trauma and chronic depression are not well defined.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study is to determine if emotional intelligence (EI) and social support differ in traumatized depressed patients when compared with controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study examines two psychosocial factors that may contribute to this link: EI and social support. Participants who experienced a trauma and had current MDD (n=38) were compared with nontraumatized healthy controls ( n=40).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Traumatized depressed participants exhibited lower total EI, because of reductions in strategic EI ability, as well as lower levels of social support compared with the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EI and social support were significantly correlated. These findings suggest that EI may be a novel target for intervention to prevent and treat MDD.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA. Laura.kwako@nih.gov
authors.forename: Laura E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Kwako
authors.forename: Sarah J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Szanton
authors.forename: Leorey N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Saligan
authors.forename: Jessica M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gill
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology*; D056348:Emotional Intelligence; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012944:Social Support; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D055815:Young Adult