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Online support groups have shown a strong potential to foster resourceful environments for people living with depression without restrictions of time, space, and stigma. Research has found that users of those groups exchange various types of support. However, due to the scarcity of research, many other aspects of depression online support groups remain inconclusive. In particular, how the support exchange contributes to the everyday lives of users living with depression remains unclear. To contribute to filing some of the knowledge gaps, the present study explored what kinds of support were requested and provided in a depression online support group. By doing so, this study aimed to examine the roles of the depression online support group in the management of depression. Mixed methods were employed with a concurrent triangulation strategy. A sample of 980 posts were selected systematically from the support group. Demographic and clinical information of the users who made those posts were recorded. Quantitative and qualitative content analyses were conducted to examine the types of support being exchanged through those posts. Inter-coder reliability was calculated to ensure the consistency of the coding process. The results indicate that users sought informational support, various types of emotional support and coaching support, and social companionship. Users not only sought listening ears, but also practical advice to cope with the situations they were going through. The group appeared to serve its users as a place to meet others with similar experience; to manage loneliness; to discuss what they could not discuss elsewhere; to "just vent"; to gain advice from multiple perspectives on an issue that had been magnifying the impact of depression; to share the experience with formal care provision systems; to express immediate support needs; to share useful discoveries, accomplishments, and creative ways to manage depression; and to experience the value of helping others. This study supports the idea that depression online support groups have the strong potential to contribute to the everyday lives of people living with depression in a way that is not available elsewhere and in a way that complement to the overall framework of existing care provision systems.

Certain electrophysiological markers hold promise in distinguishing individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) and in predicting antidepressant response, thereby assisting with assessment and optimizing treatment, respectively. This thesis examined resting brain activity via electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings, as well as EEG-derived event-related potentials (ERPs) to auditory stimuli and facial expression presentations in individuals with MDD and controls. Additionally, the utility of resting EEG as well as auditory ERPs (AEPs), and the associated loudness-dependence of AEPs (LDAEP) slope, were assessed in predicating outcome to chronic treatment with one of three antidepressant regimens [escitalopram (ESC); bupropion (BUP); ESC+BUP]. Relative to controls, depressed adults had lower pretreatment cortical activity in regions implicated in approach motives/positive processing. Increased anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)-localized theta was observed, possibly reflecting emotion/cognitive regulation disturbances in the disorder. AEPs and LDAEPs, putative indices of serotonin activity (implicated in MDD etiology), were largely unaltered in MDD. Assessment of ERPs to facial expression processing indicated slightly blunted late preconscious perceptual processing of expressions, and prolonged processing of intensely sad faces in MDD. Faces were rated as sadder overall in MDD, indicating a negative processing bias. Treatment responders (vs. non-responders) exhibited baseline cortical hypoactivity; after a week of treatment, cortical arousal emerged in responders. Increased baseline left fronto-cortical activity and early shifts towards this profile were noted in responders (vs. non-responders). Responders exhibited a steep, and non-responders shallow, baseline N1 LDAEP derived from primary auditory cortex activity. P2 LDAEP slopes (primary auditory cortex-derived) increased after a week of treatment in responders and decreased in non-responders. Consistent with overall findings, ESC responders displayed baseline cortical hypoactivity and steep LDAEP-sLORETA slopes (vs. non-responders). BUP responders also exhibited steep baseline slopes and high ACC theta. These results indicate that specific resting brain activity profiles appear to distinguish depressed from non-depressed individuals. Subtle ERP modulations to simple auditory and emotive processing also existed in MDD. Resting alpha power, ACC theta activity and LDAEP slopes predicted antidepressant response in general, but were limited in predicting outcome to a particular treatment, which may be associated with limited sample sizes.

Online support groups have shown a strong potential to foster resourceful environments for people living with depression without restrictions of time, space, and stigma. Research has found that users of those groups exchange various types of support. However, due to the scarcity of research, many other aspects of depression online support groups remain inconclusive. In particular, how the support exchange contributes to the everyday lives of users living with depression remains unclear. To contribute to filing some of the knowledge gaps, the present study explored what kinds of support were requested and provided in a depression online support group. By doing so, this study aimed to examine the roles of the depression online support group in the management of depression. Mixed methods were employed with a concurrent triangulation strategy. A sample of 980 posts were selected systematically from the support group. Demographic and clinical information of the users who made those posts were recorded. Quantitative and qualitative content analyses were conducted to examine the types of support being exchanged through those posts. Inter-coder reliability was calculated to ensure the consistency of the coding process. The results indicate that users sought informational support, various types of emotional support and coaching support, and social companionship. Users not only sought listening ears, but also practical advice to cope with the situations they were going through. The group appeared to serve its users as a place to meet others with similar experience; to manage loneliness; to discuss what they could not discuss elsewhere; to "just vent"; to gain advice from multiple perspectives on an issue that had been magnifying the impact of depression; to share the experience with formal care provision systems; to express immediate support needs; to share useful discoveries, accomplishments, and creative ways to manage depression; and to experience the value of helping others. This study supports the idea that depression online support groups have the strong potential to contribute to the everyday lives of people living with depression in a way that is not available elsewhere and in a way that complement to the overall framework of existing care provision systems.

Self-harming behaviours and suicidality are a serious problem in psychiatric patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD). Suicidal behaviours are sometimes seen as manipulative and attention-seeking in BPD patients, and are therefore not considered as dangerous as the same behaviours in MDD patients. The Suicidal Feelings and Self-Harm Questionnaire, which examines suicidal intent, was administered to all new outpatients at the Psychiatric Treatment Clinic in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton, Canada. Thirty-seven percent of the MDD patients, 78% of the BPD patients, and 77% of patients with comorbid MDD and BPD reported a history of self-harm. Suicidal intent was measured by asking the patients whether they expected to die as a result of their self-harm. There was no statistically significant difference between the diagnostic groups in this regard. This suggests that BPD patients are no less serious about their intent to die than those with MDD.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst., 2004. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karolinska institutet, 2007. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Dissertation (Ph.D.) -- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 2008. / Vita. Bibliography: p. 149-167.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 70-78).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 2002. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 32-36).