What does “staying well” after depression mean? Chronic low grade symptomatology after treatment for depression is common

Background Persistent low grade depression symptoms are common and impairing in major depressive disorder (MDD) yet rarely reported in treatment follow-up studies (Judd et al., 1998a; Kennedy et al., 2004), suggesting that extant sustained remission rates may not reflect this important clinical feature. Furthermore, no long-term MDD treatment follow-up study has reported on quality of life ratings across functioning levels and years throughout the follow-up period, thus the severity, breadth, and persistence of functional impairment remain unclear. Accordingly, the current study evaluated the course of MDD with consideration of low grade depressive symptomatology and holistic features (e.g., quality of life). Methods We report long-term (9–14 years) follow-up data from individuals with MDD (N = 37) who underwent either Cognitive Therapy (CBT) or a course of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment. Patients provided retrospective reports of depression symptoms and quality of life in the years following treatment. Results Chronic depression symptoms (most often mild in severity) and decreased quality of life in multiple domains are frequent and suggest poorer sustained remission rates than previously observed in the literature. Limitations Study limitations include small sample size recruited via convenience sampling methods. Conclusions Findings support a conceptualization of depression recovery that entails persistent symptoms and vulnerabilities. Clinical recommendations are provided for discussing these features of depression recovery with patients.