Which Stressors are Associated with Which Forms of Depression in a Homogenous Sample? An Analysis of the Effects of Lifestyle Changes and Demands on Five Subtypes of Depression

Title
Which Stressors are Associated with Which Forms of Depression in a Homogenous Sample? An Analysis of the Effects of Lifestyle Changes and Demands on Five Subtypes of Depression
Publication Date
2012
Author(s)
Bitsika, Vicki
Sharpley, Chris
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7922-4848
Email: csharpl3@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:csharpl3
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Georg-August-Universitaet Goettingen [University of Goettingen]
Place of publication
Germany
UNE publication id
une:11825
Abstract
Background: Although depression is often considered as a single or unitary construct, evidence indicates the existence of several major subtypes of depression, some of which have distinct neurobiological bases and treatment options. Objective: To explore the incidence of five subtypes of depression, and to identify which lifestyle changes and stressor demands are associated with each of five established subtypes of depression, within a homogenous non-clinical sample. Method: 398 Australian university students completed the Effects of University Study on Lifestyle Questionnaire to identify their major stressors, plus the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale to measure their symptomatology. Regression analysis was used to identify which stressors were most powerful predictors of each depression subtype. Results: The five different subtypes of depression were predicted by a range of different stressors. Incidence of clinically significant scores for the subtypes of depression varied, with some participants experiencing more than one subtype of depression. Conclusions: Different depression subtypes were predicted by different stressors, potentially challenging the clinical validity of depression as a unitary construct. Although restricted in their generalisability to clinical patient samples, these findings suggest further targets for research with depressed patients.
Link
Citation
German Journal of Psychiatry, v.15, p. 23-31
ISSN
1433-1055
Start page
23
End page
31

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