[Critical life events during the course of 2 years of 'major depression.' A prospective study with inpatients].

A number of studies has shown a significant relationship between life events/life conditions and depression. However, there is only a small number of studies investigating the effect of life events/life conditions in patients with severe depression from the endogenous subtype. The results are inconsistent. The present study examines the significance of the patients' life events/life conditions for the two year outcome of the illness in a prospective study with assessments every three months. Patients are compared to healthy controls with regard to the period three months prior to the admission to the hospital at the index episode. The results confirm the importance of life events and life conditions for the long term outcome of depressed patients with endogenous subtype respectively severe major depression in-patients. Relapsers show considerably more undesirable life conditions than non-relapsers three to six months prior to their relapse. Depressed patients indicate significantly more undesirable life events and life conditions and fewer desirable life conditions in comparison to the control group for the time span three months prior to their hospitalization. Clinical implications are discussed.