Table 2.
Predictors of course of MDD – Cox proportional hazard models, univariate analysis
| Predictor at entrya | Probability of recovery or remission N = 119 |
Risk of recurrences N = 65 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HR | 95% CI | P value | HR | 95% CI | P value | |
| Sociodemographic | ||||||
| Age | 0.991 | 0.972–1.010 | 0.34 | 0.975 | 0.947–1.004 | 0.09 |
| Gender – female | 1.42 | 0.81–2.49 | 0.23 | 2.15 | 0.74–6.26 | 0.16 |
| Marital status – single, separated, divorced or widowed | 0.52 | 0.32–0.85 | 0.009 | 1.58 | 0.70–3.54 | 0.27 |
| Education – Graduate from high school or less | 0.82 | 0.50–1.33 | 0.42 | 1.09 | 0.50–2.41 | 0.82 |
| Occupation – not working | 0.65 | 0.36–1.31 | 0.26 | 0.74 | 0.28–1.97 | 0.54 |
| Clinical | ||||||
| Age at onset of MDD | 0.992 | 0.972–1.014 | 0.49 | 0.935 | 0.888–0.985 | 0.01 |
| Length of MDD | 0.997 | 0.976–1.017 | 0.75 | 1.013 | 0.981–1.045 | 0.43 |
| Length of index MDE – chronic | 0.45 | 0.27–0.75 | 0.002 | 0.41 | 0.15-1.09 | 0.07 |
| Severity of index MDE | ||||||
| Moderate | 0.99 | 0.53–1.85 | 0.98 | 1.06 | 0.39–2.90 | 0.90 |
| Severe | 0.60 | 0.60–1.40 | 0.24 | 0.90 | 0.21–3.85 | 0.89 |
| Number of previous MDEs ≥ 3 | 0.93 | 0.57–1.51 | 0.76 | 5.28 | 1.95–14.3 | 0.001 |
| Comorbid anxiety disorder | 0.62 | 0.38–1.01 | 0.06 | 0.76 | 0.34–1.67 | 0.49 |
| Severe personality disorder | 0.68 | 0.29–1.58 | 0.37 | 1.37 | 0.41–4.63 | 0.61 |
| History of suicide attempts | 0.97 | 0.59–1.61 | 0.91 | 3.29 | 1.39–7.78 | 0.007 |
| Number of chronic medical conditions | 0.949 | 0.838–1.074 | 0.403 | 1.12 | 0.93–1.36 | 0.24 |
| Family history of mood disorder in first degree relatives | 1.04 | 0.63–1.72 | 0.87 | 1.61 | 0.68–3.80 | 0.28 |
| History of childhood maltreatment: | ||||||
| Emotional abuse | 0.93 | 0.57–1.52 | 0.77 | 1.73 | 0.75–4.02 | 0.20 |
| Physical abuse | 1.10 | 0.67–1.81 | 0.70 | 1.49 | 0.67–3.28 | 0.33 |
| Sexual abuse | 0.84 | 0.50–1.41 | 0.50 | 1.02 | 0.44–2.38 | 0.96 |
| Emotional neglect | 0.88 | 0.53–1.45 | 0.62 | 3.81 | 1.31–11.10 | 0.01 |
| Physical neglect | 0.48 | 0.24–0.94 | 0.03 | 2.74 | 1.06–7.05 | 0.04 |
| Number of Residual symptoms after remission from index MDE | - | - | - | 0.989 | 0.775–1.26 | 0.93 |
| Baseline QIDS score | 0.96 | 0.90–1.03 | 0.29 | 0.99 | 0.88–1.11 | 0.81 |
| Length of follow-up | 0.99 | 0.97–1.01 | 0.40 | 0.99 | 0.95–1.03 | 0.67 |
Legend: MDE major depressive episode, MDD major depressive disorder, QIDS quick inventory of depressive symptomatology aReference categories: Gender: male; Marital status: married or common-law; Education: College diploma or University degree; Occupation: working; Length of index MDE: <2 years; Severity of index MDE: mild; Number of previous MDEs: <3; Comorbid anxiety disorder: absent; Severe personality disorder: absent; History of suicide attempts: absent; Family history of mood disorder in first degree relative: absent; Childhood maltreatment: absent