Volledig herstel van depressie is eerder uitzondering dan regel

METHOD: We selected patients from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) who had active depression at baseline (n=903) and for whom data from the 2, 4 and/or 6 year measurements were available. Using DSM-IV diagnoses and data from the 'Life chart interview', we divided participants in one of the following four course categories: (1) recovered (no diagnosis at 2-year measurement or later), (2) recurring without chronic episodes, (3) recurring with chronic episodes or (4) consistent chronic depression since baseline. We looked at the distribution of patients over the course categories from a short, diagnostically narrow perspective (over 2 years, only looking at depression) to a long, diagnostically broad perspective (over 6 years, looking at depression, dysthymia, hypomania, mania and anxiety).