The intra-day dynamics of affect, self-esteem, tiredness, and suicidality in Major Depression.
Despite growing interest in the temporal dynamics of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), we know little about the intra-day fluctuations of key symptom constructs. In a study of momentary experience, the Experience Sampling Method captured the within-day dynamics of negative affect, positive affect, self-esteem, passive suicidality, and tiredness across clinical MDD (N= 31) and healthy control groups (N= 33). Ten symptom measures were taken per day over 6 days (N= 2231 observations). Daily dynamics were modeled via intra-day time-trends, variability, and instability in symptoms. MDD participants showed significantly increased variability and instability in negative affect, positive affect, self-esteem, and suicidality. Significantly different time-trends were found in positive affect (increased diurnal variation and an inverted U-shaped pattern in MDD, compared to a positive linear trend in controls) and tiredness (decreased diurnal variation in MDD). In the MDD group only, passive suicidality displayed a negative linear trend and self-esteem displayed a quadratic inverted U trend. MDD and control participants thus showed distinct dynamic profiles in all symptoms measured. As well as the overall severity of symptoms, intra-day dynamics appear to define the experience of MDD symptoms.
['Crowe|Eimear|E|', 'Daly|Michael|M|', 'Delaney|Liam|L|', 'Carroll|Susan|S|', 'Malone|Kevin M|KM|']
D000293:Adolescent D000328:Adult D000339:Affect D000368:Aged D002940:Circadian Rhythm D003863:Depression D003865:Depressive Disorder, Major D000072860:Ecological Momentary Assessment D005221:Fatigue D005260:Female D006801:Humans D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D012649:Self Concept D059020:Suicidal Ideation D055815:Young Adult
Depression Circadian rhythms Daily symptom dynamics Emotional instability / variability Experience Sampling Method (ESM) / Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA)