Social and communication skills assessment in patients with depression

Abstract EN

Background and aims : Major depressive disorder is a prevalent and disabling illness, associated with significant impairment in physical and social functioning.

Depression is known to affect cognitive, and behavioral aspects and social and communication skills in those patients.

This study aimed to assess the nature and scope of social and communication skills in patients with depressive disorder.

Subjects and Methods: The study included 50 inpatients diagnosed for the first time as depressive disorder according to the DSM-IV criteria and 50 diabetic patients as controls.

They were assessed through Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), social skills and communication skills assessment scales.

Results : Patients with depressive disorder have mean scores of most of the communication scale items significantly lower than controls; gesturing behavior, eye contact, verbal initiating behavior, task behavior, process behavior, overall group behavior, speaking confidence, perception of communication competence and perception of communication skills (P value range = 0.0001-0.005).

Significantly higher percentages of patients with depressive disorder have impairment of the social skills than control group.

There was a negative correlation between total score of HAM-D and social and communication skills impairment.

Conclusions : Depression is associated with social and communication skills impairment that needed to be assessed and justify a training program to improve the outcome of management of depressed patients.