Time-Invariant and Time-Varying Predictors of Depression Symptoms in Primary Care Patients

Abstract

Objective: The aims of this study were to examine correlates of depression symptoms, baseline predictors of change in depression symptoms, and time-varying predictors of depression symptoms in a primary care sample.Method: In this study, we assessed depression symptoms and other variables at 3 time points over the course of 6 months in 103 primary care patients with elevated depression symptoms at baseline. Data collection occurred from May 2004 to September 2007.Results: Individuals with lower income levels and those who were not married had a poorer course of depression, as assessed by Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale score, over time. Several variables fluctuated in concert with depression symptoms within individuals over time. As depression symptoms improved, family functioning, problem-solving, pain, and general health perceptions also improved. A multivariate analysis showed that problem-solving and general health perceptions predicted significant (P < .001) unique variance in fluctuations in depression symptoms within individuals.Conclusions: Care management programs for primary care depression may benefit from the inclusion of psychosocial interventions that directly target variables closely linked to depression, such as problem-solving and general health perceptions. In addition, special efforts must be made to help depressed individuals with low income and less social support.

Chronic Pain in HIV-Infected Patients: Relationship to Depression, Substance Use, and Mental Health and Pain Treatment

“…Certainly, the presence of chronic pain in the general population is associated with increased levels of depression , and within samples of people with chronic pain, pain severity, and depression symptom severity are correlated . In fact, as severity of pain fluctuates in individuals over time, so does level of depressive symptoms . Previous research specifically in HIV‐infected populations has documented that the presence of pain in the past week is associated with more anxiety and depression symptoms , having a psychiatric illness , and generally poorer mental and physical health .…”

An Analysis of Biopsychosocial Factors Associated With Chronic Pain Severity Among Hospitalized People Living With HIV in Shenzhen, China: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…These differences suggested that the association between chronic pain intensity and depression needs to be further explored. For an individual, the severity of pain varies over time as does the degree of depressive symptoms (Uebelacker et al, 2009). This may provide a plausible explanation for the lack of a significant relationship between depression and chronic pain severity in our study.…”

The Relationship Between Academic Self-Efficacy and Academic-Related Boredom

“…We first examined the relationship between students’ academic self-efficacy and their academic-related boredom during three high school years. Students’ academic self-efficacy was treated as a time-varying predictor of their academic-related boredom (Roskam & Meunier, 2012; Uebelacker, Weisberg, Strong, Smith, & Miller, 2009). The model was as follows: academic-related boredom = µ + r 1 (academic self-efficacy) + r 2 (time) + r 3 (academic self-efficacy) × (time) + e. The time metric was 0 (Grade 10), 1 (Grade 11), and 2 (Grade 12).…”