Do depressed people with subjective psychomotor retardation show a different symptomatic pattern? A network analysis approach using a cross-national sample

Background and objectives

Psychomotor retardation (PMR) has been associated with worse clinical course in depressed people. Explanations for this finding remain inconclusive. This study aimed to analyse whether depressed people with subjective PMR might show a different symptomatic pattern and to describe their clinical and sociodemographic profiles.

Methods

A total of 1024 participants from Finland, Spain and Poland, part of the “COURAGE in Europe” Project who screened positive for a depressive episode according to International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10) criteria using the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview 3.0 (CIDI 3.0), were included. Two group networks of depressive symptoms were estimated according to the presence (555 people) and absence (469 people) of subjective PMR. Measures of strength and betweenness of depressive symptoms were explored.

Results

People with subjective PMR showed a higher number of symptoms (11.30 (±2.67) versus 9.26 (±2.77)) and global disability score (38.30 (±26.41) versus 19.59 (±19.31) than people without subjective PMR. Although no difference was found in the global structure (M-Test=1.531; p = 0.994) nor the global strength (S-Test=0.248; p = 0.954) of depressed symptoms between depressed people with and without subjective PMR, differences were found in the type of central symptoms; “Restlessness/Jitters” (p = 0.01) and “Early Wake-Up” (p = 0.02) were relevant for the subjective PMR group. These two symptoms worked as bridge items between other depressive symptoms specifically for depressed people with subjective PMR.

Conclusions

Our results confirm that subjective PMR in depression is associated with higher severity of symptoms and disability. Depressed People with subjective PMR might show a different pattern of nuclear symptoms. Suicidal attempt, early wake-up and restlessness could be high-priority targets in the treatment of depressed people with subjective PMR.