Perceived social support and coping strategies in patients with depression: A longitudinal study

Aims: When the etiology of major depression is examined, the existence of psychosocial factors is undeniably important. Inadequate social support and use of dysfunctional coping strategies are psychosocial factors that play a role in the etiology of depression. This study investigated the perceived social support and coping strategies in patients with depression and whether they change with remission. Design: Both cross-sectional and longitudinal surveys were conducted. Methods: This study included 50 patients in the active phase of a major depressive disorder, 30 patients in the remission of depression, and 50 healthy controls. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and Assessment Scale for Coping Attitudes (COPE) were applied to all subjects. The same scales were repeated in 20 patients, who were in the active phase of depression at the beginning of the study and were in remission after approximately 3 years of follow-up. Psychometric test scores of three groups were compared with one-way ANOVA test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and post hoc tests. In the longitudinal analysis, the paired t -test and Wilcoxon tests were used. Results: The patients’ perceived social support scores were lower than the remission and control groups ( p