Childhood Trauma and Treatment Implications in Major Depressive Disorder in South Korea: Comparison with Medical Outpatients and Two-Year Follow-Up
- Author:
Chonggi KIM
1
;
Yuri JEONG
;
Eun Kyung KIM
;
Seon Cheol PARK
;
Hwa Yeon JO
;
Daeho KIM
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords: Major depressive disorder; Child abuse; Child neglect; Treatment adherence and compliance; Patient dropouts
- MeSH: Child; Child Abuse; Compliance; Depressive Disorder, Major; Domestic Violence; Drug Therapy; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Korea; Medication Adherence; Outpatients; Patient Dropouts
- From: Mood and Emotion 2019;17(3):89-98
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: BACKGROUND: Little is known about the specific types of childhood trauma and their relationship to treatment-related issues in major depressive disorder (MDD). This study examined trauma experiences and treatment-related variables in outpatients with MDD at a psychiatric department of a university hospital in Korea.METHODS: First, 75 outpatients with MDD were compared to medical outpatients without MDD matched by age, sex, income, and educational qualifications. Both groups completed the Life Stressor Checklist-Revised, which assesses comprehensive life events. Second, treatment-related variables and medication compliance measured by the Compliance Rating Scale were investigated for the two-year period after the initial assessment.RESULTS: The MDD group had experienced a significantly higher number of lifetime traumas than the control group (p=0.003), including more frequent witnessing of family violence (p<0.001), adulthood physical assault by a family member (p<0.001), and childhood emotional abuse (CEA) (p<0.001). CEA was associated with early onset of the first depressive episode and premature termination of pharmacotherapy; childhood physical neglect was associated with premature termination and less time in therapy.CONCLUSION: Our findings support the important influence of childhood emotional trauma and its relationship to treatment retention.
