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Life events, social support and marital relationships in the outcome of severe depression

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

E. S. Paykel ,
Z. Cooper ,
R. Ramana  and
H. Hayhurst
E. S. Paykel*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge
Z. Cooper
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge
R. Ramana
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge
H. Hayhurst
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge
*
1Address for correspondence: Professor E. S. Paykel, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge CB2 2QQ.
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Synopsis

The effects of life events, social support and marital relationships on outcome were examined in a predominantly recurrent in-patient sample of depressives studied longitudinally every 3 months to remission and up to 15 months thereafter. Outcomes examined were length of time to remission, presence of residual symptoms at remission, and subsequent relapse. There were few associations between these outcomes and the social variables. These findings add to other recent evidence that psychosocial factors are relatively unimportant in the subsequent course of severe and recurrent depressions, in contrast to their contribution to onset of such depressions and subsequent outcome of milder depressions.

Information

Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 26 , Issue 1 , January 1996 , pp. 121 - 133
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

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