Key result
Fear of depression recurrence affects ~73% of patients with remitted MDD and impacts daily functioning.
Why the study?
Major Depressive Disorder is highly recurrent, but little is known about the mechanisms occurring after an episode that underlie recurrence.
Cross-Sectional (n=30)
Fear of depression recurrence is highly prevalent among individuals with remitted MDD and can significantly impact daily functioning, highlighting a need for targeted assessment tools.
Fear of recurrence may warrant screening in remitted MDD; leaves open whether targeted interventions reduce relapse risk.
Background Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a prevalent psychiatric condition and the largest contributor to disability worldwide. MDD is highly recurrent, yet little is known about the mechanisms that occur following a Major Depressive Episode (MDE) and underlie recurrence. We explored the concept of fear of depression recurrence (FoDR) and its impact on daily functioning among individuals in remission from MDD. Methods 30 participants (83% female; 37% White; M age = 27.7, SD = 8.96) underwent semi-structured qualitative interviews. The interviews explored participants' experiences of FoDR including the frequency, severity, content, triggers, and impact of fears and associated coping strategies. We used content analysis to analyze the transcriptions. Results Most participants (73%) reported having FoDR, with varying frequency, severity, and duration of fears. The triggers and content of participants’ fears often mirrored the symptoms (e.g., low mood, anhedonia) and consequences (e.g., job loss, social withdrawal) endured during past MDEs. Some participants reported a minimal impact of FoDR on daily functioning, whereas others reported a positive (e.g., personal growth) or negative (e.g., increased anxiety) influence. Limitations: Our sample size did not allow for explorations of differences in FoDR across unique MDD subtypes or sociocultural factors. Conclusions The concept of FoDR may present a window into understanding the unique cognitive and behavioural changes that occur following MDD remission and underlie depression recurrence. Future research should emphasize the development of a FoDR measure so that associations between FoDR and recurrence risk, depressive symptoms, and other indices of functioning can be determined.
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Gumuchian et al. (2023) conducted a cross-sectional in Major Depressive Disorder in remission (n=30). Fear of depression recurrence was evaluated on Proportion of participants experiencing fear of depression recurrence (FoDR). Most participants (73%) with remitted major depressive disorder reported experiencing fear of depression recurrence, which varied in frequency and severity and impacted daily functioning.
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