The Continuity of Depression in Clinical and Nonclinical Samples

Historically, depression researchers have examined continuity in terms of whether the symptoms and characteristics of mild, moderate, and severe depression differ in degree along a continuum (i.e., a quantitative difference) or in kind (i.e., qualitative difference). The authors propose a differenti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychological bulletin 1997-05, Vol.121 (3), p.395-416
Main Authors: Flett, Gordon L, Vredenburg, Karel, Krames, Lester
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Biological and medical sciences
Continuity
Depression
Depression (Emotion)
Depression - classification
Depression - diagnosis
Depression - psychology
Depressive Disorder - classification
Depressive Disorder - diagnosis
Depressive Disorder - psychology
Disease Course
Emotions
Etiology
Human
Humans
Major Depression
Measurement
Medical sciences
Mental depression
Mood disorders
Personality Inventory - statistics & numerical data
Psychodiagnostic Typologies
Psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychometrics
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Symptoms
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Summary:Historically, depression researchers have examined continuity in terms of whether the symptoms and characteristics of mild, moderate, and severe depression differ in degree along a continuum (i.e., a quantitative difference) or in kind (i.e., qualitative difference). The authors propose a differentiated framework that distinguishes 4 direct tests of continuity (i.e., phenomenological, typological, etiological, and psychometric continuity). They use this framework to suggest that most evidence is consistent with the continuity hypothesis. Moreover, they maintain that the findings of future research can be incorporated into a 2-factor model of depression that allows for both continuities and discontinuities.
ISSN:0033-2909
1939-1455
DOI:10.1037/0033-2909.121.3.395