Childhood neglect predicts the course of major depression in a tertiary care sample: a follow-up study.

Background: The course of depression is poorer in clinical settings than in the general population. Several predictors have been studied and there is growing evidence that a history of childhood maltreatment consistently predicts a poorer course of depression.

Methods: Between 2008 and 2012, we assessed 238 individuals suffering from a current episode of major depression.