Personer som drabbats av depression återfaller/återinsjuknar ofta en eller flera gånger i livet. Forskning har visat att b la demografiska faktorer, residualsymtom och insomni är prediktorer för återfall. Syftet med studien var därför att undersöka betydelsen av demografiska faktorer, residualsymtom och insomni för nivån av depression 6-12 månader efter avslutad behandling på en psykiatrisk specialistmottagning. Urvalet var alla patienter som diagnosticerats med depression eller recidiverande depression och genomgått KBT-terapi under perioden 2008 – september 2013, och som hade uppföljningsdata vid sex eller tolv-månader, vilket sammanlagt var 111 patienter. Beroendevariabel var resultat på formuläret Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Resultaten visade att patienter med residualsymtom inte försämrades signifikant mellan eftermätningen och uppföjningsmätningen, ett fynd som inte överensstämmer med forskning på området. Regressionsanalyser visade ingen signifikant påverkan av kön, ålder och utbildningsnivå på senare nivå av depression vid uppföljningsmätning. Däremot visade regressionsanalyser att sömnbesvär, mätt med formuläret Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), vid framför allt eftermätning hade ett samband med senare nivå av depression vid uppföljningsmätningen. Resultaten indikerade att kvarstående sömnbesvär då behandlingen avslutades predicerade senare nivå av depression. Slutsatsen är att ett tillägg av en sömnintervention för de patienter som har insomni då behandlingen avslutas kan minska sannolikheten för återfall i depression. Då många patienter saknade uppföljningsdata kunde inga säkra slutsatser dras.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is common among college students. The disease perpetuates depressive symptoms and potentially leads to chronic depressive episodes. Existing literature has shown that students who use both cognitive and behavioral maladaptive coping skills are more prone to endure depressive symptoms and poorer academic performance. Despite these known associations, little research has examined the relationship between coping skills and self-efficacy in response to warning signs of MDD in college students. This study sought to fill the gaps in the research of MDD related to precursors, predictors, and coping mechanisms among undergraduate students in a national sample of U.S. college students. Secondary data (N = 6,713) were analyzed from the Healthy Minds Study 2012, which used the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) with a test-retest reliability. Social learning and social cognitive theories were used as the theoretical frameworks to focus on problems such as management of life activities, academic success, and maladaptive beliefs. Analyses of the data from the cross-sectional survey using multiple linear and logistic regressions indicated a statistically significant relationship between depressive symptoms and the potential predictive factors of MDD. These findings contribute positively to social change by informing the work of therapists and program developers, who may use these results to create programs that reduce depressive symptoms among undergraduates.

This research was aimed at validating the PHQ–9 in an African context. This study forms part of the project of Psychosocial Health and Biomarkers in an African context (FORT3, Wissing, 2008). The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ–9) is a nine–item depression scale that has the potential of being a dual–purpose instrument to establish the diagnosis of a depressive disorder, as well as the grade of symptom severity (Kroenke, Spitzer & Williams, 2001). The PHQ–9 was administered with criterion related measures to a multicultural convenience sample of 2214 participants from the North West Province of South Africa, including two groups of adolescents (n1 = 1480 and n2 = 559) and an availability sample of adults (n3 = 185). Instruments to determine criterion validity were the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), designed to detect symptoms of mental disorders; the Mental Health Continuum - Short Form for Adults (MHC–SF) which measures the degree of emotional, social and psychological well–being; and the New General Self–Efficacy Scale (NGSE) designed to measure an individual’s general self–efficacy. Descriptive statistics for the PHQ–9 including its reliability in the various groups is reported. The PHQ–9 manifested a Cronbach Alph are liability index of 0.86. Criterion–related validity was supported by significant correlations between the PHQ–9 and criterion measures. Confirmatory factor analysis for the PHQ–9 yielded a one–factor solution in all groups. The percentage variance explained ranged between 34.71% and 46.62%. Exploratory factor analyses yielded two factors in all groups with the second factor comprised of no more than 2 items and thus interpreted as a minor factor. The construct validity obtained in this research indicates that the PHQ–9 may be a valid measure to identify depression in a South African context. Based on the psychometric properties found in this study, it can be concluded that the PHQ–9 is a valid measure of depression in two of the samples selected for this study. Future studies may further validate this instrument in specific language and cultural groups, and explore the cross–cultural measurement equivalence. / Thesis (M.A. (Research Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

This research was aimed at validating the PHQ–9 in an African context. This study forms part of the project of Psychosocial Health and Biomarkers in an African context (FORT3, Wissing, 2008). The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ–9) is a nine–item depression scale that has the potential of being a dual–purpose instrument to establish the diagnosis of a depressive disorder, as well as the grade of symptom severity (Kroenke, Spitzer & Williams, 2001). The PHQ–9 was administered with criterion related measures to a multicultural convenience sample of 2214 participants from the North West Province of South Africa, including two groups of adolescents (n1 = 1480 and n2 = 559) and an availability sample of adults (n3 = 185). Instruments to determine criterion validity were the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), designed to detect symptoms of mental disorders; the Mental Health Continuum - Short Form for Adults (MHC–SF) which measures the degree of emotional, social and psychological well–being; and the New General Self–Efficacy Scale (NGSE) designed to measure an individual’s general self–efficacy. Descriptive statistics for the PHQ–9 including its reliability in the various groups is reported. The PHQ–9 manifested a Cronbach Alph are liability index of 0.86. Criterion–related validity was supported by significant correlations between the PHQ–9 and criterion measures. Confirmatory factor analysis for the PHQ–9 yielded a one–factor solution in all groups. The percentage variance explained ranged between 34.71% and 46.62%. Exploratory factor analyses yielded two factors in all groups with the second factor comprised of no more than 2 items and thus interpreted as a minor factor. The construct validity obtained in this research indicates that the PHQ–9 may be a valid measure to identify depression in a South African context. Based on the psychometric properties found in this study, it can be concluded that the PHQ–9 is a valid measure of depression in two of the samples selected for this study. Future studies may further validate this instrument in specific language and cultural groups, and explore the cross–cultural measurement equivalence. / Thesis (M.A. (Research Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.