Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress 2023 EHA Congress 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

A round-up of the ONWARDS phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the novel weekly insulin icodec in people with diabetes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Psychiatry
Published in: BMC Psychiatry 1/2017

Open Access 01-12-2017 | Research article

Childhood neglect predicts the course of major depression in a tertiary care sample: a follow-up study

Authors: Sabrina Paterniti, Irit Sterner, Christine Caldwell, Jean-Claude Bisserbe

Published in: BMC Psychiatry | Issue 1/2017

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

The course of depression is poorer in clinical settings than in the general population. Several predictors have been studied and there is growing evidence that a history of childhood maltreatment consistently predicts a poorer course of depression.

Methods

Between 2008 and 2012, we assessed 238 individuals suffering from a current episode of major depression. Fifty percent of these (N = 119) participated in a follow-up study conducted between 2012 and 2014 that assessed sociodemographic and clinical variables, the history of childhood abuse and neglect (using the Adverse Childhood Experience questionnaire), and the course of depression between baseline and follow-up interview (using the Life Chart method). The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR was used to assess diagnosis at baseline and follow-up interview. Statistical analyses used the life table survival method and Cox proportional hazard regression tests.

Results

Among 119 participants, 45.4% did not recover or remit during the follow-up period. The median time to remission or recovery was 28.9 months and the median time to the first recurrence was 25.7 months. Not being married, a chronic index depressive episode, comorbidity with an anxiety disorder, and a childhood history of physical neglect independently predicted a slower time to remission or recovery. The presence of three or more previous depression episodes and a childhood history of emotional neglect were independent predictors of depressive recurrences.

Conclusions

Childhood emotional and physical neglect predict a less favorable course of depression. The effect of childhood neglect on the course of depression was independent of sociodemographic and clinical variables.
Literature
1.
Piccinelli M, Wilkinson G. Outcome of depression in psychiatric settings. Br J Psychiatry. 1994;164:297–304.CrossRefPubMed
2.
Fekadu A, Wooderson SC, Markopoulo K, Donaldson C, Papadopoulos A, Cleare AJ. What happens to patients with treatment-resistant depression? A systematic review of medium to long term outcome studies. J Affect Disord. 2009;116:4–11.CrossRefPubMed
3.
Steinert C, Hofmann M, Kruse J, Leichsenring F. The prospective long-term course of adult depression in general practice and the community. A systematic literature review. J Affect Disord. 2014;152-154:65–75.CrossRefPubMed
4.
Eaton WW, Shao H, Nestadt G, Lee HB, Bienvenu OJ, Zandi P. Population-based study of first onset and chronicity in major depressive disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2008;65:513–20.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
5.
Yiend J, Paykel E, Merritt R, Lester K, Doll H, Burns T. Long term outcome of primary care depression. J Affect Disord. 2009;118:79–86.CrossRefPubMed
6.
Kiloh LG, Andrews G, Neilson M. The long-term outcome of depressive illness. Br J Psychiatry. 1988;153:752–7.CrossRefPubMed
7.
8.
Hardeveld F, Spijker J, GR Nolen WA, Beekman AT. Prevalence and predictors of recurrence of major depressive disorder in the adult population. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2010;122:184–91.CrossRefPubMed
9.
Holzel L, Harter M, Reese C, Kriston L. Risk factors for chronic depression--a systematic review. J Affect Disord. 2011;129:1–13.CrossRefPubMed
10.
Rush AJ, Trivedi MH, Wisniewski SR, Nierenberg AA, Stewart JW, Warden D, Niederehe G, Thase ME, Lavori PW, Lebowitz BD, McGrath PJ, Rosenbaum JF, Sackeim HA, Kupfer DJ, Luther J, Fava M. Acute and longer-term outcomes in depressed outpatients requiring one or several treatment steps: a STAR*D report. Am J Psychiatry. 2006;163:1905–17.CrossRefPubMed
11.
Greden JF. The burden of recurrent depression: causes, consequences, and future prospects. J Clin Psychiatry. 2001;62(Suppl 22):5–9.PubMed
12.
Vos T, Haby MM, Barendregt JJ, Kruijshaar M, Corry J, Andrews G. The burden of major depression avoidable by longer-term treatment strategies. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2004;61:1097–103.CrossRefPubMed
13.
Mueller TI, Keller MB, Leon AC, Solomon DA, Shea MT, Coryell W, Endicott J. Recovery after 5 years of unremitting major depressive disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1996;53:794–9.CrossRefPubMed
14.
Brodaty H, Luscombe G, Peisah C, Anstey K, Andrews G. A 25-year longitudinal, comparison study of the outcome of depression. Psychol Med. 2001;31:1347–59.CrossRefPubMed
15.
Kennedy N, Paykel ES. Residual symptoms at remission from depression: impact on long-term outcome. J Affect Disord. 2004;80:135–44.CrossRefPubMed
16.
Vieta E, Colom F. Therapeutic options in treatment-resistant depression. Ann Med. 2011;43:512–30.CrossRefPubMed
17.
Keller MB. Past, present, and future directions for defining optimal treatment outcome in depression: remission and beyond. JAMA. 2003;289:3152–60.CrossRefPubMed
18.
Frank E, Prien RF, Jarrett RB, Keller MB, Kupfer DJ, Lavori PW, Rush AJ, Weissman MM. Conceptualization and rationale for consensus definitions of terms in major depressive disorder. Remission, recovery, relapse, and recurrence. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1991;48:851–5.CrossRefPubMed
19.
Rush AJ, Kraemer HC, Sackeim HA, Fava M, Trivedi MH, Frank E, Ninan PT, Thase ME, Gelenberg AJ, Kupfer DJ, Regier DA, Rosenbaum JF, Ray O, Schatzberg AF. ACNP Task Force. Report by the ACNP Task Force on response and remission in major depressive disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2006;31(9):1841–53.CrossRefPubMed
20.
Nanni V, Uher R, Danese A. Childhood maltreatment predicts unfavorable course of illness and treatment outcome in depression: a meta-analysis. Am J Psychiatry. 2012;169:141–51.CrossRefPubMed
21.
Carr CP, Martins CM, Stingel AM, Lemgruber VB, Juruena MF. The role of early life stress in adult psychiatric disorders: a systematic review according to childhood trauma subtypes. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2013;201:1007–20.CrossRefPubMed
22.
Brown GW, Harris TO, Hepworth C, Robinson R. Clinical and psychosocial origins of chronic depressive episodes. II. A patient enquiry. Br J Psychiatry. 1994;165:457–65.CrossRefPubMed
23.
24.
Wainwright NW, Surtees PG. Childhood adversity, gender and depression over the life-course. J Affect Disord. 2002;72:33–44.CrossRefPubMed
25.
Brown GW, Craig TK, Harris TO, Handley RV, Harvey AL. Development of a retrospective interview measure of parental maltreatment using the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse (CECA) instrument -- A life-course study of adult chronic depression - 1. J Affect Disord. 2007;103:205–15.CrossRefPubMed
26.
Collishaw S, Pickles A, Messer J, Rutter M, Shearer C, Maughan B. Resilience to adult psychopathology following childhood maltreatment: evidence from a community sample. Child Abuse Negl. 2007;31:211–29.CrossRefPubMed
27.
Danese A, Moffitt TE, Pariante CM, Ambler A, Poulton R, Caspi A. Elevated inflammation levels in depressed adults with a history of childhood maltreatment. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2008;65:409–15.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
28.
Kessler RC, Magee WJ. Childhood adversities and adult depression: basic patterns of association in a US national survey. Psychol Med. 1993;23:679–90.CrossRefPubMed
29.
Suija K, Aluoja A, Kalda R, Maaroos HI. Factors associated with recurrent depression: a prospective study in family practice. Farm Pract. 2011;28:22-28.
30.
Wiersma JE, Hovens JG, van Oppen P, Giltay EJ, van Schaik DJ, Beekman AT, Penninx BW. The importance of childhood trauma and childhood life events for chronicity of depression in adults. J Clin Psychiatry. 2009;70:983–9.CrossRefPubMed
31.
Brown GW, Moran P. Clinical and psychosocial origins of chronic depressive episodes. I: A community survey. Br J Psychiatry. 1994;165:447–56.CrossRefPubMed
32.
Ritchie K, Jaussent I, Stewart R, Dupuy AM, Courtet P, Ancelin ML, Malafosse A. Association of adverse childhood environment and 5-HTTLPR Genotype with late-life depression. J Clin Psychiatry. 2009;70:1281–8.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
33.
McLaughlin KA, Green JG, Gruber MJ, Sampson NA, Zaslavsky AM, Kessler RC. Childhood adversities and adult psychiatric disorders in the national comorbidity survey replication II: associations with persistence of DSM-IV disorders. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2010;67:124–32.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
34.
Sidebotham P, Golding J. Child maltreatment in the “children of the nineties” a longitudinal study of parental risk factors. Child Abuse Negl. 2001;25:1177–200.CrossRefPubMed
35.
Angst J, Gamma A, Rossler W, Ajdacic V, Klein DN. Childhood adversity and chronicity of mood disorders. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2011;261:21–7.CrossRefPubMed
36.
Zlotnick C, Ryan CE, Miller IW, Keitner GI. Childhood abuse and recovery from major depression. Child Abuse Negl. 1995;19:1513–6.CrossRefPubMed
37.
Bernet CZ, Stein MB. Relationship of childhood maltreatment to the onset and course of major depression in adulthood. Depress Anxiety. 1999;9:169–74.CrossRefPubMed
38.
Paterniti S, Bisserbe JC. Pharmacotherapy for bipolar disorder and concordance with treatment guidelines: survey of a general population sample referred to a tertiary care service. BMC Psychiatry. 2013;13:211.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
39.
First MB, Spitzer RL, Gibbon M, Williams JBW. Structured Clinical Interview for DSM -IV-TR Axis I Disorders, research Version, patient Edition (SCID-I/P). New York: Biometrics Research, New York State Psychiatric Institute; 2002.
40.
Rush AJ, Trivedi MH, Ibrahim HM, Carmody TJ, Arnow B, Klein DN, Markowitz JC, Ninan PT, Kornstein S, Manber R, Thase ME, Kocsis JH, Keller MB. The 16-Item Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS), clinician rating (QIDS-C), and self-report (QIDS-SR): a psychometric evaluation in patients with chronic major depression. Biol Psychiatry. 2003;54:573–83.CrossRefPubMed
41.
Lyketsos CG, Nestadt G, Cwi J, Heithoff K, Eaton WW. The Life Chart Interview: a standardized method to describe the course of psychopathology. Int J Methods Psychiatr Res. 1994;4:143–55.
42.
Felitti VJ, Anda RF, Nordenberg D, Williamson DF, Spitz AM, Edwards V, Koss MP, Marks JS. Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults. The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study. Am J Prev Med. 1998;14:245–58.CrossRefPubMed
43.
44.
Kaplan EL, Meier P. Nonparametric estimation from incomplete observations. J Am Stat Assoc. 1958;53:457–81.CrossRef
45.
Cox DR. Regression Models and Life-Tables. J Royal Stat Soc Series B. 1972;34:187–220.
46.
Copeland ME. Facilitator Training Manual. Mental Health Recovery including the Wellness Recovery Action Plan. Peach Press. PO Box 301 West Dummerston, VT 05357; 2012.
47.
DeWilde KE, Levitch CF, Murrough JW, Mathew SJ, Iosifescu DV. The promise of ketamine for treatment-resistant depression: current evidence and future directions. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2015;1345:47–58.
48.
Negt P, Brakemeier EL, Michalak J, Winter L, Bleich S, Kahl KG. The treatment of chronic depression with cognitive behavioral analysis system of psychotherapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized-controlled clinical trials. Brain Behav. 2016;6:e00486.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
49.
Keller MB, McCullough JP, Klein DN, Arnow B, Dunner DL, Gelenberg AJ, Markowitz JC, Nemeroff CB, Russell JM, Thase ME, Trivedi MH, Zajecka J. A comparison of nefazodone, the cognitive behavioral-analysis system of psychotherapy, and their combination for the treatment of chronic depression. N Engl J Med. 2000;342:1462–70.CrossRefPubMed
50.
Rhebergen D, Batelaan NM, de Graaf R, Nolen WA, Spijker J, Beekman AT, Penninx BW. The 7-year course of depression and anxiety in the general population. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2011;123:297–306.CrossRefPubMed
51.
Hirschfeld RM, Klerman GL, Andreasen NC, Clayton PJ, Keller MB. Psycho-social predictors of chronicity in depressed patients. Br J Psychiatry. 1986;148:648–54.CrossRefPubMed
52.
Nakanishi T, Isobe F, Ogawa Y. Chronic depression of monopolar, endogenous type: with special reference to the premorbid personality, “Typus melancholicus”. Jpn J Psychiatry Neurol. 1993;47:495–504.PubMed
53.
Ruppe A, Keller F, Wolfersdorf M. Clinical course as a risk factor for chronification of depressive disorders. Results of a 6-year follow-up. Psychiatr Prax. 1996;23:175–9.PubMed
54.
Winokur G, Coryell W, Keller M, Endicott J, Akiskal H. A prospective follow-up of patients with bipolar and primary unipolar affective disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1993;50:457–65.CrossRefPubMed
55.
Pintor L, Torres X, Navarro V, Matrai S, Gasto C. Is the type of remission after a major depressive episode an important risk factor to relapses in a 4-year follow up? J Affect Disord. 2004;82:291–6.CrossRefPubMed
56.
Merikangas KR, Wicki W, Angst J. Heterogeneity of depression. Classification of depressive subtypes by longitudinal course. Br J Psychiatry. 1994;164:342–8.CrossRefPubMed
57.
Holma KM, Holma IA, Melartin TK, Rytsälä HJ, Isometsä ET. Long-term outcome of major depressive disorder in psychiatric patients is variable. J Clin Psychiatry. 2008;69:196–205.CrossRefPubMed
58.
Surtees PG, Barkley C. Future imperfect: the long-term outcome of depression. Br J Psychiatry. 1994;164:327–41.CrossRefPubMed
59.
Hinrichsen GA, Hernandez NA. Factors associated with recovery from and relapse into major depressive disorder in the elderly. Am J Psychiatry. 1993;150:1820–5.CrossRefPubMed
60.
Ramana R, Paykel ES, Cooper Z, Hayhurst H, Saxty M, Surtees PG. Remission and relapse in major depression: a two-year prospective follow-up study. Psychol Med. 1995;25:1161–70.CrossRefPubMed
61.
Keitner GI, Ryan CE, Miller IW, Zlotnick C. Psychosocial factors and the long-term course of major depression. J Affect Disord. 1997;44:57–67.CrossRefPubMed
62.
63.
Sedlak AJ, Mettenburg J, Basena M, Petta I, McPherson K, Greene A, Li S. Fourth National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS-4). Report to Congress. Washington, DC: US. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and families; 2010.
64.
65.
Hovdestad W, Campeau A, Potter D, Tonmyr L. A systematic review of childhood maltreatment assessments in population-representative surveys since 1990. PLoS One. 2015;10:e0123366.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
66.
Hovens JG, Giltay EJ, Spinhoven P, van Hemert AM, Penninx BW. Impact of childhood life events and childhood trauma on the onset and recurrence of depressive and anxiety disorders. J Clin Psychiatry. 2015;76:931–8.CrossRefPubMed
67.
Wright MO, Crawford E, Del CD. Childhood emotional maltreatment and later psychological distress among college students: the mediating role of maladaptive schemas. Child Abuse Negl. 2009;33:59–68.CrossRefPubMed
68.
Maciejewski PK, Mazure CM. Fear of criticism and rejection mediates an association between childhood emotional abuse and adult onset of major depression. Cognit Ther Res. 2006;30:105–22.CrossRef
69.
Courtney EA, Kushwaha M, Johnson JG. Childhood emotional abuse and risk for hopelessness and depressive symptoms during adolescence. J Emotional Abuse. 2008;8:281–98.CrossRef
70.
Aldao A, Nolen-Hoeksema S, Schweizer S. Emotion-regulation strategies across psychopathology: A meta-analytic review. Clin Psychol Rev. 2010;30:217–37.CrossRefPubMed
71.
Crow T, Cross D, Powers A, Bradley B. Emotion dysregulation as a mediator between childhood emotional abuse and current depression in a low-income African-American sample. Child Abuse Negl. 2014;38:1590–8.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
72.
O’Mahen HA, Karl A, Moberly N, Fedock G. The association between childhood maltreatment and emotion regulation: two different mechanisms contributing to depression? J Affect Disord. 2015;174:287–95.CrossRefPubMed
73.
Williams LM, Debattista C, Duchemin AM, Schatzberg AF, Nemeroff CB. Childhood trauma predicts antidepressant response in adults with major depression: data from the randomized international study to predict optimized treatment for depression. Transl Psychiatry. 2016;6:e799.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
74.
Nemeroff CB, Heim CM, Thase ME, Klein DN, Rush AJ, Schatzberg AF, Ninan PT, McCullough Jr JP, Weiss PM, Dunner DL, Rothbaum BO, Kornstein S, Keitner G, Keller MB. Differential responses to psychotherapy versus pharmacotherapy in patients with chronic forms of major depression and childhood trauma. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003;100:14293–6.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
75.
Williams JM, Crane C, Barnhofer T, Brennan K, Duggan DS, Fennell MJ, Hackmann A, Krusche A, Muse K, Von Rohr IR, Shah D, Crane RS, Eames C, Jones M, Radford S, Silverton S, Sun Y, Weatherley-Jones E, Whitaker CJ, Russell D, Russell IT. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for preventing relapse in recurrent depression: a randomized dismantling trial. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2014;82:275–86.CrossRefPubMed
76.
Teicher MH, Andersen SL, Polcari A, Anderson CM, Navalta CP. Developmental neurobiology of childhood stress and trauma. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2002;25:397–viii.CrossRefPubMed
77.
Hornung OP, Heim CM. Gene-environment interactions and intermediate phenotypes: early trauma and depression. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2014;5:14.
78.
Hardt J, Rutter M. Validity of adult retrospective reports of adverse childhood experiences: review of the evidence. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2004;45:260–73.CrossRefPubMed
79.
Dube SR, Williamson DF, Thompson T, Felitti VJ, Anda RF. Assessing the reliability of retrospective reports of adverse childhood experiences among adult HMO members attending a primary care clinic. Child Abuse Negl. 2004;28:729–37.CrossRefPubMed
80.
81.
Brewin CR, Andrews B, Gotlib IH. Psychopathology and early experience: a reappraisal of retrospective reports. Psychol Bull. 1993;113:82–98.CrossRefPubMed
82.
Fergusson DM, Horwood LJ, Woodward LJ. The stability of child abuse reports: a longitudinal study of the reporting behaviour of young adults. Psychol Med. 2000;30:529–44.CrossRefPubMed
83.
Lizardi H, Klein DN. Long-term stability of parental representations in depressed outpatients utilizing the Parental Bonding Instrument. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2005;193:183–8.CrossRefPubMed
84.
Wilhelm K, Niven H, Parker G, Hadzi-Pavlovic D. The stability of the Parental Bonding Instrument over a 20-year period. Psychol Med. 2005;35:387–93.CrossRefPubMed
85.
Brown GW, Craig TK, Harris TO, Handley RV, Harvey AL. Validity of retrospective measures of early maltreatment and depressive episodes using the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse (CECA) instrument -- A life-course study of adult chronic depression - 2. J Affect Disord. 2007;103:217–24.CrossRefPubMed
86.
Collishaw S, Dunn J, O’Connor TG, Golding J. Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children Study Team. Maternal childhood abuse and offspring adjustment over time. Dev Psychopathol. 2007;19:367–83.CrossRefPubMed
87.
Patten SB. Recall bias and major depression lifetime prevalence. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2003;38:290–6.CrossRefPubMed
88.
Hunt C, Andrews G. Comorbidity in the anxiety disorders: the use of a life-chart approach. J Psychiatr Res. 1995;29:467–80.CrossRefPubMed
89.
Andreasen NC, Endicott J, Spitzer RL, Winokur G. The family history method using diagnostic criteria. Reliability and validity. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1977;34:1229–35.CrossRefPubMed
Metadata
Title
Childhood neglect predicts the course of major depression in a tertiary care sample: a follow-up study
Authors
Sabrina Paterniti
Irit Sterner
Christine Caldwell
Jean-Claude Bisserbe
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Psychiatry / Issue 1/2017
Electronic ISSN: 1471-244X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-017-1270-x

Other articles of this Issue 1/2017

BMC Psychiatry 1/2017 Go to the issue

Research article

Barriers and facilitators in accessing dementia care by ethnic minority groups: a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies

Research article

Associations of fatigue to work-related stress, mental and physical health in an employed community sample

Research article

The effect of seasonal changes and climatic factors on suicide attempts of young people

Research article

Neuropsychiatric symptoms following metal-on-metal implant failure with cobalt and chromium toxicity

Research article

A comparison of recommendations and received treatment for mood and anxiety disorders in a representative national sample

Research article

Changes in depressive symptoms and correlates in HIV+ people at An Hoa Clinic in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam