Background: Deficits in social cognition, referred to as preoperational thinking, are assumed to play a key role in the pathogenesis of persistent depression. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of preoperational thinking on the two-year course of depressive symptoms in a sample of persistently depressed, episodically depressed as well as healthy participants. Methods: We recruited 43 persistently depressed participants, 26 episodically depressed participants and 16 healthy control participants. Preoperational thinking was assessed at baseline with the Luebeck Questionnaire for Recording Preoperational Thinking. Over the period of two years, the course of depressive symptom severity was measured every three months using the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology. Results: Using linear mixed model analysis we found a significant effect for the influence of preoperational thinking on the severity of depressive symptoms in the observation period. We found a non-significant statistical trend for an association of preoperational thinking with the change of depressive symptom severity. Conclusion: Our analyses suggest that a high degree of preoperational thinking is associated with a higher severity of depressive symptoms and possibly less symptom improvement. These findings support the notion that preoperational thinking is a relevant factor for the further course of depression and might indeed contribute to the maintenance of persistent depression.

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a highly prevalent and disabling disorder. This study examines two psychotherapy methods for MDD, behavioral activation (BA), and metacognitive therapy (MCT), when applied as outpatient treatments to severely affected patients. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> The study was conducted in a tertiary outpatient treatment center. Patients with a primary diagnosis of MDD (<i>N</i> = 122) were included in the intention-to-treat sample (55.7% female, mean age 41.9 years). Participants received one individual and one group session weekly for 6 months (M). Assessments took place at baseline, pretreatment, mid-treatment (3 M), post-treatment (6 M), and follow-up (12 M). The primary outcome was depressive symptomatology assessed by the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression at 12 M follow-up. Secondary outcomes included general symptom severity, psychosocial functioning, and quality of life. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Linear mixed models indicated a change in depressive symptoms (<i>F</i>(2, 83.495) = 12.253, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001) but no between-group effect (<i>F</i>(1, 97.352) = 0.183, <i>p</i> = 0.670). Within-group effect sizes were medium for MCT (post-treatment: <i>d</i> = 0.610; follow-up: <i>d</i> = 0.692) and small to medium for BA (post-treatment: <i>d</i> = 0.636, follow-up: <i>d</i> = 0.326). In secondary outcomes, there were improvements (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.040) with medium to large within-group effect sizes (<i>d</i> ≥ 0.501) but no between-group effects (<i>p</i> ≥ 0.304). Response and remission rates did not differ between conditions at follow-up (response MCT: 12.9%, BA: 13.3%, remission MCT: 9.7%, BA: 10.0%). The deterioration rate was lower in MCT than in BA (χ²₁ = 5.466, <i>p</i> = 0.019, NTT = 7.4). <b><i>Discussion:</i></b> Both MCT and BA showed symptom reductions. Remission and response rates were lower than in previous studies, highlighting the need for further improvements in adapting/implementing treatments for severely affected patients with MDD.

Background: Perceived social support (PSS) is a crucial factor in physical and mental health. Previous studies found a negative association between childhood maltreatment (CM) and current PSS. Objective: In this paper, we investigate whether psychopathology moderates this association in a sample of patients with Depressive Disorder (DD) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Method: Sixty-nine patients with DD and 110 patients with BPD were recruited to inpatient/ day clinic treatment programmes for either DD or BPD. All participants completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and the Social Support Questionnaire (F-SozU). Our hypothesis was tested with a moderator analysis in a multiple linear regression model. Results: We found a significant interaction between diagnosis and CM for the CTQ total score and the emotional abuse subscale. Post hoc analyses revealed a significant negative correlation between CM and PSS only for patients suffering from BPD and not for patients with DD. Conclusion:Our results suggest that the negative association between CM and PSS might be more pronounced in certain patient groups, particularly patients with BPD.Efecto diferencial del abuso emocional infantil en el apoyo social actual en el trastorno límite y la depresión: un estudio transversal Antecedentes: El apoyo social percibido (PSS en su sigla en inglés) es un factor crucial en la salud física y mental. Estudios previos encontraron una asociación negativa entre el maltrato infantil (MI) y el PSS actual. Objetivo: En este trabajo investigamos si la psicopatología modera esta asociación en una muestra de pacientes con trastorno depresivo (DD en su sigla en inglés) y trastorno límite de la personalidad (TLP). Método: Sesenta y nueve pacientes con DD y 110 pacientes con TLP fueron reclutados en programas de tratamiento clínico para pacientes de hospital diurno para DD o TLP. Todos los participantes completaron el cuestionario de trauma infantil (CTQ en su sigla en inglés) y el Cuestionario de apoyo social (F-SozU). Nuestra hipótesis fue probada con un análisis de moderador en un modelo de regresión lineal múltiple. Resultados: Encontramos una interacción significativa entre el diagnóstico y el MI para la puntuación total del CTQ y la subescala de abuso emocional. Los análisis post hoc revelaron una correlación negativa significativa entre MI y PSS solo para pacientes que padecían TLP y no para pacientes con DD. Conclusión: Nuestros resultados sugieren que la asociación negativa entre MI y PSS podría ser más pronunciada en ciertos grupos de pacientes, particularmente en pacientes con TLP.