Self-Reported Symptoms of Depression by Changes in Sleeping Patterns and Appetites for Outpatients with a Major Depressive Disorder

Although analyses of variance of the changes in sleeping patterns and appetites by comorbidity were not calculated for all of the patients in the present study for the reasons that have been described, a small pilot study was performed to test if a significant relationships might specifically exist with respect to changes in sleeping pattern and appetite. Forty outpatients who were consecutively evaluated for outpatient treatment and diagnosed with a major depressive disorder and a comorbid psychiatric disorder were matched with respect to sex, age, and ethnicity to 40 patients who were consecutively evaluated and only diagnosed with a major depressive disorder. Both samples were, each, composed of 26 women, and there were 38 Caucasians, 1 Hispanic, and 1 Asian in each group. The mean age of each group was 38 (SD = 12) years old. The majority (N = 24) of the comorbid diagnoses were for anxiety disorders, followed by alcohol or substance abuse disorders (N = 9). Neither of the χ ² tests of independence comparing the patients with and without comorbid disorders by type (less, unchanged, more) of changes in sleep patterns [χ ² (N = 80) = 1.49, Cramer’s V = 0.14, ns.] or appetite [χ ² (N = 80) = 0.10, Cramer’s V = 0.04, ns.] was significant.

Two-way analyses of variance using sex and being Caucasian as main effects along with type of change (less, unchanged, more) were conducted, respectively, for the Change in Sleeping Pattern and Appetite items for the BDI total scores and items. None of the interactions of sex X type of change in sleeping pattern and none of the interactions of Caucasian X type of change in appetite was significant.