ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate whether rumination and family functioning can predict the level of depression after 1 year of follow-up in patients with first-episode depression, and whether family functioning plays a mediating role between rumination and depression level.Methods:Sixty-five patients with first-episode depression who met the enrollment requirements were included, and all subjects were assessed the 17-item Hamilton depression scale(HAMD-17), rumination response scale(RRS) and family assessment device(FAD). All subjects were followed up for 1 year, and the predictive effects of rumination and family functioning at baseline on the level of depression after 1 year of follow-up were investigated by hierarchical linear regression analysis and mediation analysis.Results:At the baseline stage, rumination, role, affective involvement (AI) and general functioning (GF) were significantly positively associated with depression level after 1 year of follow-up in patients with first-episode depression ( r=0.49, P<0.01; r=0.30, P=0.02; r=0.43, P<0.01; r=0.50, P<0.01; respectively). Rumination, AI and GF at the baseline stage predicted depression level after 1 year of follow-up ( β=0.315, t=2.954, P=0.005; β=0.261, t=2.550, P=0.013; β=0.323, t=2.952, P=0.005). Mediation analysis showed that AI and GF partially mediated the relationship between rumination at baseline and depression level at 1 year follow-up (point estimate value for AI=0.040, 95% CI=0.012-0.090); point estimate value for GF=0.066, 95% CI=0.017-0.143). Conclusions:Rumination and family functioning at baseline in first-episode depressed patients can predict the depression level at 1 year follow-up.Family functioning partly mediates the relationship between the baseline rumination and the depression level at 1 year follow-up.