Exploring the Interplay between Family History of Depression, Negative Life Events, and Social Support in First-Episode Major Depression: Insights from a Pilot Case-Control Study

Abstract

Although the intricate network of interactions between vulnerability, resilience, and precipitating factors in a first episode of major depression (FEMD) has been investigated from many psychological, social, and neurobiological perspectives, a definitive model that encompasses all these elements is still far from being validated. Integrated into this exploratory approach, the current pilot project examines the influence of social support, life events, and family history of major depression disorder (MDD) on FEMD, providing insights for larger-scale research. The study included 40 participants, 20 with FEMD and 20 age- and gender-matched controls, and examined characteristics of MDD, perceived social support, family history, and stressful life events. The results showed that a higher rate of negative life events increased depression risk, but better social support decreased this risk. The family history of MDD did not predict depression onset, nor did life event exposure affect treatment response, but these results may be related to the small study sample. In conclusion, social support protects against significant depression and unpleasant life experiences, according to this pilot study. Future research should use larger, diverse samples and longitudinal designs to better understand depression’s etiology and improve prevention and therapy.

Keywords

• first-episode major depression
• social support
• negative life events
• family history of depression
• treatment response