Date Presented 03/21/24
Assessing mood homeostasis (MH) and its associations with occupational balance, participation, and quality of life to guide the development of a novel intervention for people with major depressive disorder and promote effective health care.
Primary Author and Speaker: Shani Volovic Shushan
Contributing Authors: Adi Stern, Naomi Josman, Uri Nitzan
PURPOSE: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability and is associated with functional difficulties. Functional disability affects people’s ability to participate in everyday occupations, leading to low occupational balance and poor quality of life (QoL). Mood homeostasis (MH) is the ability to regulate and balance mood with activity. Studies show significant associations between low MH, low mood, and depression history, but did not examine these associations with variables of function and participation among people with MDD. This study aims to promote understanding of MH among people with MDD and present its associations with occupational balance, participation and QoL. This understanding will consequently guide the design of a novel custom intervention, based on multifaceted evidence.
DESIGN: Cross-sectional design comparing inpatients with MDD to healthy controls matched by age and gender.
METHOD: Participants are evaluated for depression symptoms, participation in everyday occupations, occupational balance, and QoL. To calculate MH, participants fill out daily electronic log on their mood and activity (ecological momentary assessment). Data is converted into a personalized functional profile.
RESULTS: Initial results indicate significant differences between groups in key variables. MH index analyses show differences in profiles of function and mood changes during the day. MH scale ranges from 0 to 1 with higher score indicates better ability to regulate mood with activity. People with MDD show lower MH score (0.20) compared to controls (0.76). Estimated time for final data analysis is 08/23.
CONCLUSIONS: This study will provide advance understanding of MH among people with MDD and its associations with various functional variables. Understanding those relationships will support the development of a new occupational therapy intervention. Expanding clinical interventions might promote participants daily function and recovery process.
References
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