A Review of An Empirical Examination Article on Depression

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A Review of An Empirical Examination Article on Depression 1 A Review of An Empirical Examination Article on Depression Brown, J (2023, February 8). Empirical Examination on Current Depression Categories in a Population-Based Study: Symptoms, Course, and Risk Factors.
A Review of An Empirical Examination Article on Depression 2 Introduction In this review of an empirical examination article on depression, I will be reviewing the study’s main purposes, methodologies, findings and conclusions. I will then discuss my views and opinions on the article’s strengths, limitations, and implications. Purpose In this article, the examination-article is used to present research findings on the validity of current diagnosis and subthreshold classifications of depression that include the usage of population-based followed up designs are rare. Authors analyze the validity and reliability of four depression categories: major depressive disorder, depressive syndrome, dysthymia, comorbid depression. Authors examine subject development between depression categories and the symptoms, course and risk factors of each disease. Methods Sample The sample done on a general population of 1,920 adults from the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area-13-year-followed-up study were examined. Data was taken on diagnosis, symptoms, course, and risk factors using the National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule, the Life Chart Interview, and an office visit. (Chen et al., 2000). Polychotomous regression was used to analyze the varieties of the four depression disorders. Polychotomous regression relates to the usage of when the categories of the outcome variable are nominal, that is, they do not have any natural order. (Kleinbaum & Klein, 2010). In the ECA study it was conducted as a series of epidemiological surveys of the general household
A Review of An Empirical Examination Article on Depression 3 population from the years 1980 to 1983 at five sites in the United States. Out of the 1,920 adults of 3,481 adults from the original Baltimore sample in 1993-1996, the Baltimore ECA did a follow-up study interview. Non-response from the other adults was due to death, sample loss, or refusal of subject usage. Non Survivors were most likely white, older, male, less educated, and unemployed. Subject lost to follow-up were mostly likely to be younger, non-white, divorced or separated, less educated, and lastly unemployed. And subjects who refused to participate were most likely to be white and less educated, and were also not associated with baseline psychopathology. Symptoms and Diagnosis According to the article, the National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule was used to assess the diagnostic elements, including symptoms, their severity and frequency over time, and whether or not the symptoms were caused by physical illness or injury, use of drugs or alcohol, or the presence of another psychiatric disorder. (Chen et al., 2000). A variety of questions were asked for each nine depressive symptoms in diagnostic criteria. Symptoms in the lifetime during the worst episode also temporal clustering with other symptoms were clarified. DSM-III-R criteria were used to create diagnoses of major depressive disorder and dysthymia. Depressive syndrome in this study was established as “having had a period of 2 weeks or longer when several (three or more) depressive symptoms occur together including dysphoria or anhedonia”. (Chen et al., 2000). The DIS excluded individuals who met criteria for major depressive disorder. Lastly, the group was defined as “meeting criteria for lifetime diagnoses of both major depressive disorder and dysthymia.”. (Chen et al., 2000). Course Descriptors
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A Review of An Empirical Examination Article on Depression 4 Course Descriptors were followed as the temporal sequence in disease development and progression. (Chen et al., 2000). The time period at which individuals experience the first depressive episode occurred. Depressive episodes were interpreted by the collaborators by three clustering symptoms: dysphoria, loss of interest, during a period of 2 weeks or longer. Onset age was used as a standard comparison across these disorder categories, with the inclusion of the comorbid depression category, which had two different onsets. A prodromal period or, the early symptoms and signs that precede the acute clinical phase of an illness. Geoffroy, P. A., & Scott, J. (2017).The number of prodromal periods determined the number of depressive episodes that determined the number of lifetime depressive episodes. Risk Factors Family history was another factor assessed in the follow-up-interview of the ECA subjects in 1981, and as well of the subjects of 1982. Positive family history of depression was defined as any first- or second-degree with relatives with depression. (Chen et al., 2000). Information was collected on stressful life events from the DIS at 1-3 wave assessments. Assessed events from subjects included; separation, divorce, widowhood, life-threatening illnesses, traumatic events, death of loved one(s), children moving out, retirement, losing job, and breakup of love relationships or important friendships. The problem of deterioration of recall was assessed with the Life Chart Interview. The Life Chart Interview generates age- and calendar-linked personal memory cues for the respondent at the beginning of the interview by means of an interactive visually oriented life calendar that focuses the respondent’s attention on a designated time period. (Chen et al., 2000). A dichotomous variable, or two values that presents/absence for a characteristic was determined by collaborators. This dichotomous variable was used to indicate the presence or absence of one or more stressful life events before the prodromal episode of the
A Review of An Empirical Examination Article on Depression 5 first depressive episode was created. Subjects that described any of the stressful life events and also required adjustment during the prodromal period before the depressive episode were determined positive for the prior stressful life events during the 1 year before onset. Findings Subject Transition Between Depression Diagnostic Categories In the article, colloborators examined the change of life diagnostic status by cross-tabulating lifetime diagnosis in the 1981 (wave 1) interviews, and lifetime diagnoses summarized from assessments in three waves (1981, 1982, 1993–1996). In reference to table 1, (sample characteristics; not listed in this review) about 17% of the 59 subjects with major depressive disorder in 1981 developed comorbid dysthymia during the follow-up. About 10% of the 136 subjects with depressive syndrome in 1981 developed major depressive disorder; 5% developed dysthymia; and 8% developed comorbid major depressive disorder and dysthymia. About 19% of the 37 dysthymia subjects in 1981 developed comorbid major depressive disorder. (Chen et al., 2000). Risk Factor Heterogeneity Among Four Categories Collaborators used results from logistic reasonings that compared each of the four depressive categories and the reference group are summarized in table 3, (course heterogeneity, not listed in this review). In this univariate regression model, subjects with depressive syndrome, dysthymia, and comorbid depression (exclusion of major depressive disorder), had a major higher likelihood of being much higher in the comorbid depression category than it was in the other three categories. Family history was taken account of all four diagnostic categories, but the odds for dysthymia subjects were lower than any of the other three groups. As well as family history,
A Review of An Empirical Examination Article on Depression 6 stressful life events had a major likelihood of happening with major depressive disorder and depressive syndrome but not dysthymia and comorbid depression. In a multivariate regression model, the odds ratio for female gender was significant only for the comorbid depression category. (multivariate regression not listed in this article). The odds for family history or depressive disorder was significantly associated with all categories with dysthymia. Stressful life events were a significant predictor for major depressive disorder and depressive syndrome but not for dysthymia or comorbid depression. A homogeneity z test (not listed in this article) comparison of odds ratios between the major depressive disorder and the comorbid depression categories indicated a significantly stronger association between female gender and comorbid depression than between female gender and major depressive disorder. (Chen et al., 2000). In the collaborators findings, both major depressive disorder and depressive syndrome were associated with family history of depression and stressful life events before the prodromal period. (Chen et al., 2000). But, for the subjects with a major depressive disorder, family history was a stronger risk factor than a stressful life event for depressive syndrome a stressful life event was a stronger risk factor than family history. (Chen et al., 2000). Family history is an eminent risk factor subject with comorbid depression in addition to the female gender. Dysthymia was the only category not significantly associated with any of the examined risk factors. There were no significant interactions between the examined risk factors in any of the four categories. Implications and Impressions In my review of this empirical examination article on depression, I found this essay very informative. I found the concept of current depression categories; major depressive disorder, depressive syndrome, dysthymia, comorbid depression, in a population-based study in:
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A Review of An Empirical Examination Article on Depression 7 symptoms, course, and risk factors. I believe the reliability and validity of this examination- article on depression in this. I also agree with the findings of this examination that usage of the validity of current diagnosis and subthreshold classifications of depression that include the usage of population-based followed up designs are rare. In the methods used in this study, I believed it to be great utilization to prove their statement of validity of population-based rareness of accuracy. My understanding of these different experiments is small, however I did learn quite a bit about how these studies work in this examination, and how I could use these experiments in further research myself. I believe the utilization of the ECA study was a close comparative to population-based follow up designs, and gave the question of its rareness, reliability and genius reliability. In conclusion, the results of this study proved that all three depression categories, except dysthymia, are homogeneous and environmentally heterogeneous. And that also, stress is associated with mild depression, and gender is associated with severe depression. References: Geoffroy, P. A., & Scott, J. (2017). Prodrome or risk syndrome: what's in a name?. International journal of bipolar disorders , 5 (1), 7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40345-017-0077-5 Chen, L.-S., Eaton, W. W., Gallo, J. J., Nestadt, G., & Crum, R. M. (2000). Empirical Examination of Current Depression Categories in a Population-Based Study: Symptoms, Course,
A Review of An Empirical Examination Article on Depression 8 and Risk Factors. American Journal of Psychiatry , 157 (4), 205–209. https://doi.org/doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.157.4.573 Kleinbaum, D. G., & Klein, M. (n.d.). Polytomous Logistic Regression. In Logistic Regression A Self-Learning Text (pp. 492–462). essay, Springer.