COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT and SOCIAL ADAPTIVE FUNCTIONING in PATIENTS with DEPRESSIVE EPISODE

Abstract

Introduction: Depressive episodes are characterized by feeling low consistently with reduced interest in previously pleasurable activities and easy fatigability along with memory disturbances, pessimistic thoughts and suicidal ideas along with altered biological functions. In this study the cognitive components that are commonly impaired is elicited and along with the impairment in social functioning. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in the Psychiatry Department of Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute between the period from October 2017 to March 2019 for a period of 1.5 years. Results: The presence of cognitive impairment was 27.06% based on in DSST and 69.4% based on BGT. The proportion of subjects with cognitive impairment was very higher in moderate, severe and very severe depression and this difference was statistically very significant (P value <0.001). The social functioning was markedly involved in depression with statistically significant difference in the proportion of subjects with domestic skills, community skills, social skills, responsibility, and the social functioning as a whole across the severity of depression (P value <0.05). Conclusion: This study has shown the presence of cognitive impairment in Depression along with social functioning dysfunction.