The association between levels of cortisol secretion and fear perception in patients with remitted depression predicts recurrence.

This study examines the association between cortisol secretion and fear perception in remitted patients to identify mechanisms underlying risk for recurrence of depression. We hypothesized that the stronger the association between cortisol secretion and fear perception in persons with remitted depression, the more recurrence would be experienced. We also investigated whether high levels of cortisol and fear perception per se predict more recurrence.

Stressful life events as a link between problems in nonverbal communication and recurrence of depression.

Background: Interpersonal difficulties and stressful life events are important etiological factors in (recurrence of) depression. This study examines whether stressful life events mediate the influence of problems in nonverbal communication on recurrence of depression.

Methods: We registered nonverbal expressions of involvement from videotaped behavior of 101 remitted outpatients and their interviewers.

Lack of association between conversation partners' nonverbal behavior predicts recurrence of depression, independently of personality.

High neuroticism and low extraversion are related to depression and its recurrence. We investigated whether nonverbal involvement behavior during social interaction is one of the factors via which these relations are effectuated. We measured nonverbal expressions of involvement from videotaped behavior of remitted depressed outpatients (n=101) and their conversation partners, and assessed self-reported neuroticism and extraversion scores.

Cognitive, physiological, and personality correlates of recurrence of depression.

Background: The risk of recurrence in depressive disorder is high and increases with the number of episodes. We investigated whether individuals with a history of recurrent depression deviate from individuals with a single episode, as regards risk-related variables in 3 different domains of depression research.

Methods: Participants were 102 outpatients with major depressive disorder remitted from an episode (60 recurrent, 42 nonrecurrent).

Potential psychosocial mechanisms linking depression to immune function in elderly subjects.

Although depression and immune changes in elderly subjects constitute a considerable health risk, mechanisms underlying the association between depression and immune function are unclear. The question of whether personality and social support can explain the variation in immune function during depression was addressed in 21 elderly depressive and 23 control subjects. The following variables were studied: neuroticism, extraversion, received social support, depression-related immune parameters [i.