Table 2. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the study samples.
| persistent depression | recurrent depression | HC | p | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| gender (m/f) | 9/11 | 7/13 | 9/11 | .760 |
| mean age (SD) | 48.5 (10.1) | 44.9 (11.2) | 46.7 (11.3) | .581 |
| education | ||||
| 9 years | 0 | 1 | 0 | .053 |
| 10 years | 9 | 13 | 5 | |
| > 12 years | 11 | 6 | 15 | |
| intimate relationship (yes/no) | 5/15 | 12/8 | 15/5 | .005* |
| age at depression diagnosis (n = 3 missing answers) | 33.7 (12.3) | 32.4 (9.8) | - | .724 |
| HAMD21 | 20.6 (2.4) | 19.1 (4.5) | 2.8 (3.3) | < .001* |
Group differences for categorical variables were tested with non-parametric tests (χ2-test), for metric data the p-values of the t-statistic (age at diagnosis) and of the interaction term of a one-way ANOVA (age, HAMD21) are presented. HC = healthy controls, HAMD21 = Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (21 items version). Asterisks indicate statistically significant group differences (* p < .05).