Clinical high risk state of major depressive episodes: Assessment of prodromal phase, its occurrence, duration and symptom patterns by the instrument the DEpression Early Prediction-INventory (DEEP-IN).

BACKGROUND: To decrease the incidence of major depressive episodes, indicated prevention that targets clinical high-risk individuals with first detectable signs that forecast mental disorder is a highly relevant topic of preventive psychiatry. Still little is known about the prodrome of MDE. The aim of the current study was to identify the occurrence of a clinical high-risk state of depression, its duration and symptom constellation. METHODS: Seventy-three patients with a diagnosed affective disorder in partial remission were assessed with our newly developed semi-structured extensive clinical instrument, the DEpression Early Prediction-INventory (DEEP-IN). Within DEEP-IN the course of prodromal symptoms was explored by using a life-chart method. RESULTS: The significant majority of patients (93.2 %) reported a prodromal phase. The mean duration was 7.9 months (SD = 12.5). Within the group with an identified prodromal phase, psychopathological (95.6 %) as well as somatic symptoms (88.2 %) were reported. Somatic symptoms showed a moderate-to-strong effect of sex with higher prevalence in females than in males (97.6 % vs 73.1 %; V = 0.370). LIMITATIONS: This feasibility study had only a small sample size. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of patients with affective disorders reported a clinical prodromal phase with both psychopathological and somatic symptoms that developed months before the onset of the depressive episode. The development of structured instruments for the assessment of depressive risk states is a promising approach for indicated prevention of depression in the future.

[The German S3 guideline for depressive disorders in childhood and adolescence: new developments]. / S3-Leitlinie Depressive Störungen im Kindes- und Jugendalter: Wo geht es hin?

The German guideline for the treatment of depressive disorders in children and adolescents was first published in July 2013. Currently, this guideline is undergoing revision, in which the recommendations of the original version of the guideline are revisited and updated. This report aims to give an overview of the current status and the next steps for this revision.As part of the revision process, the key questions posited in the original version were expanded upon. In this, new questions were added regarding complementary therapies, that is, therapies meant to be administered in addition to the usual treatment, as well as regarding the transitionary period from adolescence into adulthood. For all key questions, new systematic literature searches were conducted in order to update the relevant evidence. For this, randomized controlled studies, systematic reviews, and non-controlled intervention studies were included and rated according to their relevance as well as possible risks of bias. Thus, all studies could be assigned a level of evidence that takes into account both the quality and the importance of the study to the guideline.This report will give a brief overview of the most important insights resulting from the new evidence base identified for the revision. While insights regarding psychotherapy are largely unchanged, there are changes in the evidence for certain antidepressants. In the field of complementary therapies, new evidence has been found for physical activity. In general, it is likely that most recommendations of the original guideline regarding first- and second-line treatments will be updated. The completion of the revision and the publishing of the revised guideline are expected to take until the end of 2023.