Childhood trauma and psychiatric comorbidities in patients with depressive disorder in primary care in Chile.

Childhood trauma is associated with different psychiatric disorders during adulthood. These disorders are often presented in comorbidity with depression. OBJECTIVE: To establish the relationship between psychiatric comorbidities and childhood traumatic events in patients with depression in Chile. METHODS: Three hundred and ninety-four patients with major depression were assessed using the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview and a screening for childhood trauma. RESULTS: Social anxiety disorder was associated with having witnessed domestic violence during childhood (OR = 2.2, CI 1.2 - 3.8), childhood physical abuse (OR = 2.7, CI 1.6 - 4.4), physical injury associated with physical abuse (OR = 2.3, CI 1.3 - 4.7) and sexual abuse by a non-relative (OR = 2.7, CI 1.3 - 4.2). Posttraumatic stress disorder was associated with physical injury associated with physical abuse (OR = 1.9, CI 1.1 - 3.6), sexual abuse by a relative (OR = 3.2, IC 1.8 - 5.9) and sexual abuse by a non-relative (OR = 2.2, CI 1.2 - 4.1). Antisocial personality disorder was associated with traumatic separation from a caregiver (OR = 3.2, CI 1.2 - 8.5), alcohol abuse by a family member (OR = 3.1, CI 1.1 - 8.1), physical abuse (OR = 2.8, CI 1.1 - 6.9) and sexual abuse by a non-relative (OR = 4.8, CI 1.2 - 11.5). Panic disorder was associated with sexual abuse by a relative (OR = 1.9, CI 1.1 - 3.1). Generalized anxiety disorder was associated with sexual abuse by a non-relative (OR = 1.9, CI 1.1- 3.3). CONCLUSIONS: Further clinical recognition is required in patients seeking help for depression in primary care. This recognition must take into account the patient's current psychiatric comorbidities and adverse childhood experiences.

[Association between adverse childhood experiences with depression in adults consulting in primary care]. / Depresión adulta y experiencias infantiles adversas: evidencia de un subtipo depresivo complejo en consultantes de la atención primaria en Chile.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic experiences during childhood may influence the development of mental disorders during adulthood. AIM: To determine clinical and psychosocial variables that are associated with a higher frequency of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) in patients who consult for depression in Primary Health Care clinics in Chile. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A socio-demographic interview, the mini international neuropsychiatric interview (MINI), a screening for ACE, a questionnaire for partner violence (PV), the Life Experiences Survey (LES) and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRDS) were applied to 394 patients with major depression (87% women). RESULTS: Eighty two percent of patients had experienced at least one ACE and 43% of them reported three or more. Positive correlations were observed between the number of ACE and severity of depressive symptoms (r = 0.19; p < 0.01), psychiatric comorbidities (r = 0.23; p < 0.01), partner violence events (r = 0.31; p < 0.01), vital stressful events (r = 0.12; p < 0.01), number of depressive episodes (r = 0.16; p < 0.01), duration of the longer depressive episode (r = 0.12; p < 0.05) and suicidal tendency according to HDRS (r = 0.16; p < 0.01). An inverse correlation was observed between frequency of ACE and age at the first depressive episode (r = -0.12; p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These data are consistent with the hypothesis that early trauma is associated with more severe and complex depressive episodes during adulthood.

Latent Class Analysis in Depression, Including Clinical and Functional Variables: Evidence of a Complex Depressive Subtype in Primary Care in Chile.

OBJECTIVE: To establish differentiated depressive subtypes using a latent class analysis (LCA), including clinical and functional indicators in a sample of depressed patients consulted in Chilean Primary Health Care. METHODS: A LCA was performed on a sample of 297 depressed patients consulted in Chilean PHC. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, the Outcome Questionnaire -social role, and interpersonal subscales were as instruments. A regression analysis of the different subtypes with sociodemographic and adverse life experiences was performed. RESULTS: In a sample characterized by 87.5% of women, two, three, and four latent class models were obtained. The three-class model likely represents the best clinical implications. In this model, the classes were labeled: "complex depression" (CD) (58% of the sample), "recurrent depression" (RD) (34%), and "single depression episode" (SD) (8%). Members of CD showed a higher probability of history of suicide attempts, interpersonal, and social dysfunction. Psychiatric comorbidities differentiated the RD from SD. According to a multinomial regression model, childhood trauma experiences, recent stressful life experiences, and intimate partner violence events were associated with the CD class (p < 0.01). Limitations. The vast majority of participants were females from Chile and the sample studied was not random. So, the results may not necessarily represent outpatient clinics. CONCLUSIONS: This study can provide additional evidence that depression, specifically in female gender, could be better understood as a complex heterogeneous disorder when clinical and functional indicators are studied. Furthermore, adverse life experiences starting in childhood could lead to a differentiated complex depressive subtype.

Depresión adulta y experiencias infantiles adversas: evidencia de un subtipo depresivo complejo en consultantes de la atención primaria en Chile / Association between adverse childhood experiences with depression in adults consulting in primary care

Background: Traumatic experiences during childhood may influence the development of mental disorders during adulthood. Aim: To determine clinical and psychosocial variables that are associated with a higher frequency of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) in patients who consult for depression in Primary Health Care clinics in Chile. Material and Methods: A socio-demographic interview, the mini international neuropsychiatric interview (MINI), a screening for ACE, a questionnaire for partner violence (PV), the Life Experiences Survey (LES) and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRDS) were applied to 394 patients with major depression (87% women). Results: Eighty two percent of patients had experienced at least one ACE and 43% of them reported three or more. Positive correlations were observed between the number of ACE and severity of depressive symptoms (r = 0.19; p < 0.01), psychiatric comorbidities (r = 0.23; p < 0.01), partner violence events (r = 0.31; p < 0.01), vital stressful events (r = 0.12; p < 0.01), number of depressive episodes (r = 0.16; p < 0.01), duration of the longer depressive episode (r = 0.12; p < 0.05) and suicidal tendency according to HDRS (r = 0.16; p < 0.01). An inverse correlation was observed between frequency of ACE and age at the first depressive episode (r = -0.12; p < 0.05). Conclusions: These data are consistent with the hypothesis that early trauma is associated with more severe and complex depressive episodes during adulthood.