Biopsychosocial predictors of depressive mood in people with Parkinson's disease

The incidence of depressive mood among people with Parkinson's disease (PD) is well documented, yet less is known about the biopsychosocial correlates of this low mood state. In this study, 82 people with PD (M age = 68 years, SD = 9.4) completed questionnaires related to the duration of their illness, social support, coping, relationship satisfaction, and depression. The authors entered variables that correlated significantly with depressive mood into a multiple regression analysis, and the variables in the final model explained 64% of the variance in depressive mood. Gross motor impairment (beta = .45), blaming self (beta = .41), avoidance (beta = .33), symptom severity (beta = .21), and recreational intimacy (beta = -.14) were strong predictors of depressive mood. The authors discuss the findings in terms of interventions aimed at reducing the use of emotion-focused strategies, encouraging recreational intimacy among people with PD and their partners, and educational programs that provide information on PD symptoms, to promote positive mood and adjustment among people with PD.