Self-Management Competence in Depressed In-Patients: A Prospective Observational Study

Background Studies suggest that good self-management is associated with better coping with chronic mental conditions. However, an encompassing assessment of the relationship between depression and self-management competence is lacking. Methods This study assesses the relationship between depressiveness and self-management competence in a sample of 83 depressed in-patients. Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) was used to assess depressiveness. The Self-Management Self-Test (SMST) was used to assess self-management competence. Patient surveys took place at the time of hospital admission (T1) and at the time of hospital discharge or approximately 4 to 6 weeks after (T2). Results Self-management competence correlated negatively with depressiveness at T1. Four out of five specific dimensions of self-management competence correlated inversely with depressiveness at T1. Self-management competence differed depending on the severity of the depressive syndrome and was higher the lower the severity of the depressive syndrome was. In the course of clinical treatment, self-management competence increased. Change of self-management competence during clinical treatment was not dependent on the sociodemographic variables gender or age. Change of self-management competence during clinical treatment predicted the change of depressiveness between hospital admission and discharge (T2 vs. T1) as well as depressiveness at T2. Limitations Sample size was relatively small. The SMST is a relatively new psychometric instrument that has not yet found widespread use in clinical research. Conclusion Our findings offer clinical evidence that in depressed in-patients, self-management competence and depressiveness are associated constructs. These results suggest that self-management competence may be a valuable resource in the treatment of depressive disorders.