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. During a 2-year follow-up, we assessed stressful life events and recurrence of depression.

Results: The less congruent the levels of nonverbal involvement behavior of participants and interviewers, the higher the incidence of stressful life events, and -via these - the risk of recurrence.

Limitations: Nonverbal behavior was measured in an experimental setting.

Conclusions: The results suggest that lack of nonverbal congruence during social interaction contributes to the occurrence of stressful life events, which in turn may trigger depression.