Vicissitudes of life after the short-term treatment of depression: Roles of stress, social support, and personality

Using data from the National Institute of Mental Health-Treatment of Depression Collaborative Research Program, we examined predictors of the intensity of depressive symptoms after the termination of short-term treatment of depression. Multilevel modeling was applied to depression, stressful life events, and perceived social support assessed at termination and the 6-, 12-, and 18-month follow-ups. Between-subjects and within-subjects effects were found for stress and support; a buffering effect of support on stress was also found. The slope of depression on stress was used to index stress reactivity during the follow-up. Stress reactivity was predicted by depressive personality at intake and by perfectionism at termination but not by the intensity of symptoms at termination. These findings suggest that patients' personality characteristics and their social environments are crucial determinants of their functioning after treatment ends.