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. 2012 Oct;42(10):2083-93.
doi: 10.1017/S0033291712000141. Epub 2012 Feb 17.

Stability and transitions of depressive subtypes over a 2-year follow-up

F Lamers  1 , D Rhebergen, K R Merikangas, P de Jonge, A T F Beekman, B W J H Penninx
Affiliations

Stability and transitions of depressive subtypes over a 2-year follow-up

F Lamers et al. Psychol Med. 2012 Oct.

Abstract

Background: Identifying depressive subtypes is an important tool in reducing the heterogeneity of major depressive disorder. However, few studies have examined the stability of putative subtypes of depression over time.

Method: The sample included 488 persons from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) who had major depressive disorder at baseline and at the 2-year follow-up assessment. A latent transition analysis (LTA) was applied to examine the stability of depressive subtypes across time-points. Differences in demographic, clinical, psychosocial and health correlates between subtypes were evaluated in a subsample of persons with stable subtypes.

Results: Three subtypes were identified at each time-point: a moderate subtype (prevalence T0 39%, T1 42%), a severe typical subtype (T0 30%, T1 25%), and a severe atypical subtype (T0 31%, T1 34%). The LTA showed 76% stability across the 2-year follow-up, with the greatest stability in the severe atypical class (79%). Analyses of correlates in the stable subtypes showed a predominance of women and more overweight and obesity in the severe atypical subtype, and a greater number of negative life events and higher neuroticism and functioning scores in the severe typical subtype.

Conclusions: Subtypes of major depressive disorder were found to be stable across a 2-year follow-up and to have distinct determinants, supporting the notion that the identified subtypes are clinically meaningful.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Interest

None.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Symptom probabilities from the latent class models at (a) baseline and (b) the 2-year follow-up. M, Moderate; SA, severe atypical ; ST, severe typical.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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