title: Daily life stress reactivity in remitted versus non-remitted depressed individuals.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about how daily life mood reactivity to minor stressors (stress reactivity) might change following major depressive disorder (MDD) treatment. We investigate whether (i) mood states and appraisals of daily stressors change after treatment; (ii) stress reactivity to event, activity, or social stress differs; (iii) stress reactivity depends on severity of residual depressive symptoms; and (iv) stress reactivity in individuals with remitted or non-remitted depression differ from that of never-depressed individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty depressed individuals participated in an experience sampling study before and after a treatment period of 18 months; 39 healthy individuals formed a comparison group. Reactivity of positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) to daily stressors were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More residual symptoms were associated with larger NA responses to stress. Compared to healthy controls, participants with non-remitted MDD showed higher NA-reactivity to all stressors. In contrast, stress reactivity to event and activity stressors was normalized in remitted patients. However, they still showed heightened NA-reactivity to social stress.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Greater stress reactivity to event and activity stress appears to be state-dependent. The heightened social stress reactivity in remitted patients suggests that sensitivity to social stress may reflect an underlying vulnerability in MDD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network, EURON, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands; GGzE, Institute of Mental Health Care Eindhoven and the Kempen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: mark.vanwinkel@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Winkel
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network, EURON, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Nicolson
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network, EURON, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wichers
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network, EURON, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Viechtbauer
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network, EURON, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Myin-Germeys
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network, EURON, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Peeters
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Daily life; Experience sampling method; MDD treatment; Major depressive disorder; Stress reactivity