Major Depression is a complex disorder with a growing incidence worldwide and multiple variables have been associated with its etiology. Nonetheless, its diagnosis is continually changing and the need to understand it from a multidimensional perspective is clear. The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for depression in a case-control study with 100 depressive inpatients and 87 healthy controls. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed including psychosocial factors, cognitive maladaptive schema domains, and specific epigenetic marks (BDNF methylation levels at five CpG sites in promoter IV). A family history of depression, the cognitive schemas of impaired autonomy/performance, impaired limits, other-directedness, and the methylation level of a specific CpG site were identified as predictors. Interestingly, we found a mediating effect of those cognitive schemas in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and depression. Also, we found that depressive patients exhibited hypomethylation in a CpG site of BDNF promoter IV, which adds to the current discussion about the role of methylation in depression. We highlight that determining the methylation of a specific region of a single gene offers the possibility of accessing a highly informative an easily measurable variable, which represents benefits for diagnosis. Following complete replication and validation on larger samples, models like ours could be applicable as additional diagnostic tools in the clinical context.

Purpose This paper aims to discuss current work and further steps of the psychological hotline launched by the National Psychological Association of Ukraine (NPA), along with a call for action to mental health professionals worldwide. Design/methodology/approach This paper describes the training and support of the NPA’s hotline staff as well as reflections on the hotline’s work from June 2022 to April 2023. Findings With broad international support, the NPA’s psychological hotline currently operates in 21 countries providing psychological assistance and referrals to other service providers within Ukraine and abroad. The authors propose further steps of its work, including international collaboration. Originality/value Providing citizens of Ukraine with broad public access to evidence-based remote psychological support through NPA’s hotlines is a high priority considering the war’s negative impact on mental health diverse and the limited capacity of the state mental health system.

El presente estudio es de tipo empírico con un diseño cuasi-experimental de casos y controles cuyo propósito fue explorar el peso del afecto negativo (rasgo) y los dominios de los esquemas maladaptativos tempranos como indicadores de variables de personalidad asociados al trastorno depresivo. El grupo de casos estuvo conformado por 238 pacientes psiquiátricos con diagnóstico de Trastorno Depresivo Mayor y 236 personas de la comunidad general sin este diagnóstico. Los pacientes presentaron niveles más altos de afecto negativo rasgo y mayores puntuaciones en los dominios de esquemas maladaptativos tempranos en comparación con los controles. El análisis de regresión logística mostro que la afectividad negativa explica un 59% y los dominios un 48% del trastorno depresivo. Estos resultados apoyan la dimensionalidad del modelo alternativo de clasificación de los trastornos de personalidad del DSM-5, así como el mantenimiento del debate del trastorno depresivo de la personalidad.

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