Immunity, coping and depression.
BACKGROUND
On the one hand, this psycho-immunological theory makes it possible to forge links between immunity and depression. On the other hand, we know that coping strategies are an important variable in the model of vulnerability to depression. Our study weighs the influence of cellular immunity and coping strategies on the severity of depression.


METHODS
498 inpatients with major depressive disorder were enrolled in an open-label trial. In addition to a socio-demographic questionnaire, they answered a Cousson's coping test and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).


RESULTS
In terms of immunity, there are correlations between the BDI and percentages of CD8 (p=0.000; r=0.163), CD19 (p=0.046; r=0.090), CD16&56 (p=0.011; r=0.282), ratio CD4/CD8 (p=0.003; r=-0.135). A linear regression model for immune variables explained 25% of the BDI. In terms of coping, there is a correlation between severity of depression and ea (escape avoidance) (p=0.000; r=0.218), pr (positive reappraisal) (p=0.000; r=-0.265) and pps (planful problem solving) (p=0.000; r=-0.296). However, there is no correlation between the severity of depression and d (distancing). A linear model for coping strategies explained 12% of the BDI. Finally, there are correlations between distancing and CD8 (p=0.005; r=-0.119), CD19 (p=0.017; r=-0.102) and CD 16&56 (p=0.029; r=-0.227) but also CD3 (p=0.008; r=-0.114) and CD4 (p=0.027; r=-0.095) but not between those immune variables and the other coping strategies. In this case, a linear regression for distancing explained 10.3% of immune variables.


CONCLUSIONS
Every coping strategy has an impact on depression. But not in the same way. Ea, pps and pr strategies influence directly the risk of depression while distancing influences the immune variables themselves. Knowing that those variables impact the risk of depression, distancing has then an indirect effect on depression.
Université Catholique de Louvain, Psychosomatics Unit, Mont-Godinne University Hospital, 5530 Yvoir, Belgium, pmanceaux@hotmail.fr.
Pauline
P
Manceaux
Nicolas
N
Zdanowicz