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Cited by 39Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesTreatment of Major DepressionPsychological Treatments and Disorders

Psychological theories of depressive relapse and recurrence: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies

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Brouwer, Marlies E., Williams, Alishia D., Kennis, Mitzy, Fu, Zhongfang, Klein, Nicola S., Cuijpers, Pim, Bockting, Claudi L.H.·2019·Clinical Psychology Review
DOI 10.1016/j.cpr.2019.101773
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Abstract

Psychological factors hypothesized to account for relapse of major depressive disorder (MDD) roughly originate from five main theories: Cognitive, diathesis-stress, behavioural, psychodynamic, and personality-based. In a meta-analysis we investigated prospective, longitudinal evidence for these leading psychological theories and their factors in relation to depressive relapse. Included studies needed to establish history of MDD and prospective depressive relapse through a clinical interview, have a longitudinal and prospective design, and measure at least one theory-derived factor before relapse. We identified 66 eligible articles out of 43,586 records published up to November 2018. Pooled odds ratios (OR) indicated a significant relationship between the cognitive, behavioural, and personality-based theories and depressive relapse (cognitive: k = 17, OR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.10-1.40; behavioural, k = 8, OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.05-1.25; personality: k = 12, OR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.02-1.54), but not for the psychodynamic theories (k = 4, OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 0.83-1.99). Pooled hazard ratios of the theories were not significant. There were no articles identified for the diathesis-stress theories. To conclude, there is a restricted number of prospective studies, and some evidence that the cognitive, behavioural, and personality-based theories indeed partially account for depressive relapse.

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Authors
Brouwer, M. E., Williams, A. D., Kennis, M., Fu, Z., Klein, N. S., Cuijpers, P., & Bockting, C. L. H.
Affiliations
  • Utrecht University (NL)
  • University of Groningen (NL)
  • Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
  • Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (NL)
Corresponding author
Bockting, Claudi L.H.
ORCID
Venue
Clinical Psychology Review
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2019-12
Volume
74
Pages
101773
ISSN
0272-7358 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.cpr.2019.101773
OpenAlex
W2985119860
Cited by
39
References
72
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 1
FWCI
0.59
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Clinical Psychology Review (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Pure Amsterdam UMC (publishedVersion)
  • VU Research Portal (acceptedVersion, other-oa)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
  • Utrecht University Repository (Utrecht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Utrecht University Repository (Utrecht University) (submittedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities and Social Sciences
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychological Treatments and Disorders
Keywords
depression relapse, major depressive disorder, recurrence, cognitive theory, behavioral theory, psychodynamic theory, diathesis-stress model, psychological risk factors
MeSH terms
Major Depressive Disorder, Depressive Disorder, Major, Humans, Psychological Theory, Disease Progression

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