title: Prevalence and symptomatic correlates of interpersonal trauma in South Korean outpatients with major depressive disorder.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is growing evidence that exposure to severe interpersonal trauma (IPT) has a pivotal role in the development and manifestation of depression. However, it is not clearly understood whether patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) have specifically increased prevalence of IPT than other non-interpersonal traumatic events and whether those with IPT have unique symptom profile within depressed groups. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of past traumatic events and symptomatic features of treatment-seeking outpatients with MDD.
  
  
  METHODS
  A consecutive sample of 111 South Korean outpatients with MDD was recruited on their first visit to a psychiatric department of a university-affiliated hospital. Participants completed the Life Events Checklist (LEC), the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Dissociative Experience Scale (DES) and Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R). The prevalence of past traumatic events on LEC was compared to medical outpatients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to medical outpatients, MDD patients had significantly higher rates of IPT (physical and sexual) but not other traumatic events of non-interpersonal origin such as accidents or disaster. Compared to MDD patients without IPT (n=44, 40%), those with IPT (n=67, 60%) had higher subscale scores on hostility in SCL-90-R, as well as greater depressive and post-traumatic symptoms. However, multivariate analysis revealed that the best model to discriminate those with IPT was interaction of depressive and posttraumatic symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Limitations include sample characteristics (treatment-seeking outpatients) and possible effects of comorbid conditions, which were not investigated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinicians managing individuals with depressive disorder need to include the assessment of lifetime IPT and its impact on presenting symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yong-In Mental Hospital, Yongin, Republic of Korea; Institute of Mental Health, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seon-Cheol
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Hanyang University Medical School, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Hanyang University Guri Hospital, Guri, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: dkim9289@hanyang.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Daeho
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Hanyang University Medical School, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Hanyang University Guri Hospital, Guri, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Young
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Jang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D010555:Personality Inventory; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D000067073:Psychological Trauma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult