Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142741/1/Fried-Nesse-DepressiveSymtoms-PLoS-2014.pd

Fried, E.I.

Nesse, Randolph M.

PLoS ONE

English

PubMed

Fried Eiko I.

Nesse Randolph M.

Public Library of Science (PLOS)

The Impact of Individual Depressive Symptoms on Impairment of Psychosocial Functioning

Previous studies have established that scores on Major Depressive Disorder scales are correlated with measures of impairment of psychosocial functioning. It remains unclear, however, whether individual depressive symptoms vary in their effect on impairment, and if so, what the magnitude of these differences might be. We analyzed data from 3,703 depressed outpatients in the first treatment stage of the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) study. Participants reported on the severity of 14 depressive symptoms, and stated to what degree their depression impaired psychosocial functioning (in general, and in the five domains work, home management, social activities, private activities, and close relationships). We tested whether symptoms differed in their associations with impairment, estimated unique shared variances of each symptom with impairment to assess the degree of difference, and examined whether symptoms had variable impacts across impairment domains. Our results show that symptoms varied substantially in their associations with impairment, and contributed to the total explained variance in a range from 0.7% (hypersomnia) to 20.9% (sad mood). Furthermore, symptoms had significantly different impacts on the five impairment domains. Overall, sad mood and concentration problems had the highest unique associations with impairment and were among the most debilitating symptoms in all five domains. Our findings are in line with a growing chorus of voices suggesting that symptom sum-scores obfuscate relevant differences between depressed patients and that substantial rewards will come from close attention to individual depression symptoms.status: publishe

Fried, Eiko

Nesse, Randolph M

Lirias

Previous studies have established that scores on Major Depressive Disorder
scales are correlated with measures of impairment of psychosocial functioning.
It remains unclear, however, whether individual depressive symptoms vary in
their effect on impairment, and if so, what the magnitude of these differences
might be. We analyzed data from 3,703 depressed outpatients in the first
treatment stage of the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression
(STAR*D) study. Participants reported on the severity of 14 depressive
symptoms, and stated to what degree their depression impaired psychosocial
functioning (in general, and in the five domains work, home management, social
activities, private activities, and close relationships). We tested whether
symptoms differed in their associations with impairment, estimated unique
shared variances of each symptom with impairment to assess the degree of
difference, and examined whether symptoms had variable impacts across
impairment domains. Our results show that symptoms varied substantially in
their associations with impairment, and contributed to the total explained
variance in a range from 0.7% (hypersomnia) to 20.9% (sad mood). Furthermore,
symptoms had significantly different impacts on the five impairment domains.
Overall, sad mood and concentration problems had the highest unique
associations with impairment and were among the most debilitating symptoms in
all five domains. Our findings are in line with a growing chorus of voices
suggesting that symptom sum-scores obfuscate relevant differences between
depressed patients and that substantial rewards will come from close attention
to individual depression symptoms

Institutional Repository of the Freie Universität Berlin

Previous studies have established that scores on Major Depressive Disorder scales are correlated with measures of impairment of psychosocial functioning. It remains unclear, however, whether individual depressive symptoms vary in their effect on impairment, and if so, what the magnitude of these differences might be. We analyzed data from 3,703 depressed outpatients in the first treatment stage of the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) study. Participants reported on the severity of 14 depressive symptoms, and stated to what degree their depression impaired psychosocial functioning (in general, and in the five domains work, home management, social activities, private activities, and close relationships). We tested whether symptoms differed in their associations with impairment, estimated unique shared variances of each symptom with impairment to assess the degree of difference, and examined whether symptoms had variable impacts across impairment domains. Our results show that symptoms varied substantially in their associations with impairment, and contributed to the total explained variance in a range from 0.7% (hypersomnia) to 20.9% (sad mood). Furthermore, symptoms had significantly different impacts on the five impairment domains. Overall, sad mood and concentration problems had the highest unique associations with impairment and were among the most debilitating symptoms in all five domains. Our findings are in line with a growing chorus of voices suggesting that symptom sum-scores obfuscate relevant differences between depressed patients and that substantial rewards will come from close attention to individual depression symptoms

Eiko I Fried

Randolph M Nesse

Directory of Open Access Journals

The impact of individual depressive symptoms on impairment of psychosocial functioning.

Eiko I. Fried

Randolph M. Nesse

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The Impact of Individual Depressive Symptoms on Impairment of Psychosocial Functioning

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