ANTECEDENT LIFE EVENTS, SOCIAL SUPPORTS AND RESPONSE TO ANTIDEPRESSANTS IN DEPRESSED-PATIENTS

We evaluated 355 subjects who entered one of six double-blind placebo- controlled antidepressant drug trials with respect to the occurrence o f antecedent adverse life events and their meaning to the patient. Pat ients were also assessed with regard to the degree of social support t hey received for the negative life event. The groups differed as to wh ether they did or did not meet the criteria for melancholic depression ; 43 one-week placebo responders were statistically significantly more likely to believe that adverse life events predisposed them to depres sive illness and that such life events precipitated their current depr ession, compared to 312 one-week placebo non-responders. Of the 312 pa tients who went on to the double-blind phase in which they were treate d with either drug (n = 204) or placebo (n = 108), it was noted that, for both melancholic and non-melancholic patients, responders to drug treatment (but not placebo) had a more favourable ratio of social supp ort received/social support desired than non-responders. Nonmelancholi c responders to both drug and placebo were statistically significantly more Likely to report fewer adverse life events and have a less stron g belief that adverse Life events predispose one to depressive illness than non-responders. Melancholic patients did not show this trend.