Depression is more than the sum score of its parts: individual DSM symptoms have different risk factors.

ABSTRACT:

Background

For diagnostic purposes, the nine symptoms that compose the DSM-5 criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) are assumed to be interchangeable indicators of one underlying disorder, implying that they should all have similar risk factors. The present study investigates this hypothesis, using a population cohort that shifts from low to elevated depression levels.

Method

We assessed the nine DSM-5 MDD criterion symptoms (using the Patient Health Questionnaire; PHQ-9) and seven depression risk factors (personal and family MDD history, sex, childhood stress, neuroticism, work hours, and stressful life events) in a longitudinal study of medical interns prior to and throughout internship (n = 1289). We tested whether risk factors varied across symptoms, and whether a

SUBMITTER: Fried EI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4104249 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature