The following is a summary of “Impact of depersonalization on the course of depression: longitudinal observations from the Gutenberg health study,” published in the March 2024 issue of Psychiatry by Michal, et al.

Depersonalization (DP) and derealization (DR) are symptoms that can indicate a heightened risk of chronic mental health issues.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study investigating the influence of DP/DR symptoms on clinical features and long-term outcomes in a representative sample with major depression, following them for five years.

They examined a cohort of 10,422 middle-aged individuals at the outset, with 9,301 of them being devoid of depressive or DP/DR symptoms. Within this cohort, 522 individuals displayed clinically significant depression (PHQ-9 ≥ 10) accompanied by DP/DR symptoms, while 599 individuals manifested clinically significant depression (PHQ-9 ≥ 10) without DP/DR symptoms.

The results showed health gaps between individuals with and without depression, affecting various life aspects like early parental experiences, current socioeconomic status, social connections (partnership, loneliness), stressors (family, work), physical complaints (e.g., tinnitus, migraine, chest pain), lifestyle, and disease prevalence. These differences persisted for five years, particularly severe for depressed individuals with concurrent DP/DR symptoms, which more than doubled the risk of depression recurrence. Only 6.9% of depressed individuals with DP/DR symptoms achieved remission at the follow-up. Depression, with or without DP/DR, significantly deteriorated self-rated physical health, with the impact of depression with DP/DR symptoms surpassing that of age and major medical conditions. However, only depression without DP/DR symptoms was associated with mortality.

Investigators concluded that DP/DR symptoms predicted worse depression outcomes, highlighting the need to identify and aid this high-risk group.

Source: bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-024-05658-7