Citation

Cantave CY, Ouellet-Morin I, Giguère C, Lupien SJ, Juster RP, Geoffrion S, Marin MF. Psychosom. Med. 2021; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, American Psychosomatic Society, Publisher Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/PSY.0000000000001016

PMID

34596058

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Depression and anxiety symptoms are commonly observed among clinical populations, especially among women and maltreated individuals. Few investigations have, however, assessed the existence of distinct symptoms trajectories among clinical populations and how these relate to childhood maltreatment, sex differences, and stress physiology indexed by hair cortisol concentrations (HCC). The current study (1) identified distinct depression and anxious trajectories in a sample of psychiatric inpatients followed-up prospectively from their admission to a psychiatric emergency service (PES), and (2) examined whether HCC, childhood maltreatment and sex independently and jointly predict these trajectories.

METHODS: Adult inpatients (N = 402, 55% women) were recruited upon admission to PES (T1) during which HCC (reflecting cortisol secretion for the last 3 months), childhood maltreatment, and depression and anxiety symptoms were assessed. Symptoms were re-evaluated when patients were discharged from the hospital (T2), admitted to outpatient clinics (T3), and 12 months later or at the end of outpatient treatment (T4).

RESULTS: Three trajectories were identified for depression and anxiety symptoms. Among men, higher HCC predicted higher odds of evincing chronic depressive symptoms compared to a Low Stable trajectory (OR 3.46, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.43-8.40). Greater childhood maltreatment among men predicted higher chances of exhibiting chronic anxious symptoms than the Low Stable (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.07-2.02) and the High Decreasing trajectories (OR.70, 95% CI.51-.95). Opposite findings were noted for women.

CONCLUSIONS: Childhood maltreatment and HCC should be further investigated as predictors of anxious and depressive trajectories, during which sex-specific associations ought to be considered.

Language: en