Life events and depression. Part 3. Relation to severity of the depressive syndrome

Two hundred and six depressed patients, consecutively treated at the Department of Psychiatry, Umeå University were investigated both concerning the occurrence of life events within defined time limits and the severity of their depressive syndrome. Three different criteria were used to divide the patients according to severity: whether they were in- or out-patients, whether or not they were psychotic according to a classification model (MACM) used at Umeå and, finally, according to the clinical ratings received by those admitted to the hospital. The average number of events experienced by the patients within the time limits set by the study was similar in each of the subgroups taken into account. A weak, but still statistically significant, relation was found between a negative experience of the events and the total score obtained at the ratings. The occurrence of events 'independent' of depression did not distinguish between the groups. Thus, the results of this study do not support the opinion maintained by some authors that there is a sizeable positive relation between magnitude of life events and seriousness of illness.