Markov Chain Model to Explain the Dynamics of Human Depression (original) (raw)

An Agent Model of Temporal Dynamics in Relapse and Recurrence in Depression

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2009

This paper presents a dynamic agent model of recurrences of a depression for an individual. Based on several personal characteristics and a representation of events (i.e. life events or daily hassles) the agent model can simulate whether a human agent that recovered from a depression will fall into a relapse or recurrence. A number of well-known relations between events and the course of depression are summarized from the literature and it is shown that the model exhibits those patterns. In addition, the agent model has been mathematically analyzed to find out which stable situations exist. Finally, it is pointed out how this model can be used in depression therapy, supported by a software agent.

Describing the longitudinal course of major depression using Markov models: data integration across three national surveys

Population health metrics, 2005

Most epidemiological studies of major depression report period prevalence estimates. These are of limited utility in characterizing the longitudinal epidemiology of this condition. Markov models provide a methodological framework for increasing the utility of epidemiological data. Markov models relating incidence and recovery to major depression prevalence have been described in a series of prior papers. In this paper, the models are extended to describe the longitudinal course of the disorder. Data from three national surveys conducted by the Canadian national statistical agency (Statistics Canada) were used in this analysis. These data were integrated using a Markov model. Incidence, recurrence and recovery were represented as weekly transition probabilities. Model parameters were calibrated to the survey estimates. The population was divided into three categories: low, moderate and high recurrence groups. The size of each category was approximated using lifetime data from a study...

Markov chain model and its application

Computers and Biomedical Research, 1986

This paper examines the use of the Markov chain model to study the condition of asthma patients with respect to seasonal variations. The model can be utilized for predicting the health status of these patients. 0 1986 Academic PESS. ITIC.

Depression as a dynamical disease

Biological Psychiatry, 1996

Mathematical models are helpful in the understanding of diseases through the use of dynamical indicators. A previous study has shown that brain activity can be characterized by a decrease of dynamical complexity in depressive subjects. The present paper confirms and extends these conclusions through the use of recent methodological advances: first episode and recurrent patients strongly differ in their dynamical response to therapeutic interventions. These results emphasize the need for clinical follow-ups to avoid recurrence and the necessity of specific therapeutic intervention in the case of recurrent patients.

Temporal course of change of depression

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1993

Two hundred fifty moderately to severely depressed outpatients were randomly assigned to 16 weeks of cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, imipramine plus clinical management (IMI-CM), or pill placebo plus clinical management. Two hundred thirty-nine patients actually began treatment. The most rapid change in depressive symptoms occurred in the IMI-CM condition, which achieved significantly better results than the other treatments at 8 and 12 weeks on 1 or more variables. Change over the course of treatment on variables hypothesized to be most specifically affected by the respective treatments was found only in the case of pharmacotherapy, in which imipramine produced significantly greater changes on the endogenous measure at 8 and 12 weeks. The temporal course of change of depressive symptoms for patients receiving different types of treatment is of interest from a clinical perspective and may help us better to understand the nature of depression, the nature of the treatments, and their

Course of treatment received by depressed patients

Journal of Psychiatric Research, 1999

Using data from an observational study of a}ective disorders\ we describe the rates of transition among levels of antidepressant treatment for subjects with Major Depressive Disorder "MDD#\ and relate these changes to changes in clinical status[ We report on the treatment received during the _rst 09 years of follow!up in the Collaborative Depression Study by 444 patients with a diagnosis of MDD of at least one month|s duration[ This work extends the initial examination of treatment received during the _rst eight weeks after entry into this study that showed depressed patients to be on low levels of treatment[ Multiplicative intensity models which generalize survival analysis models were used to analyse these data[ Description of the course of treatment of these depressed patients shows that low levels of treatment persist for these patients across subsequent episodes\ and that these episodes\ like the index one\ are characterized by extended time in a symptomatic subcriterion state after acute symptoms have improved[ These long! term descriptions of treatment support the initial hypothesis that these CDS patients were undertreated[ The long!term tendency toward undertreatment seems to persist even as newer treatments become available and widely accepted in practice[ Þ 0888 Elsevier Science Ltd[ All rights reserved[

Refining our understanding of depressive states and state transitions in response to cognitive behavioural therapy using latent Markov modelling

Psychological Medicine, 2020

BackgroundIt is increasingly recognized that existing diagnostic approaches do not capture the underlying heterogeneity and complexity of psychiatric disorders such as depression. This study uses a data-driven approach to define fluid depressive states and explore how patients transition between these states in response to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).MethodsItem-level Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) data were collected from 9891 patients with a diagnosis of depression, at each CBT treatment session. Latent Markov modelling was used on these data to define depressive states and explore transition probabilities between states. Clinical outcomes and patient demographics were compared between patients starting at different depressive states.ResultsA model with seven depressive states emerged as the best compromise between optimal fit and interpretability. States loading preferentially on cognitive/affective v. somatic symptoms of depression were identified. Analysis of tran...

Applying a Dynamical Systems Model and Network Theory to Major Depressive Disorder

Frontiers in Psychology

Mental disorders like major depressive disorder can be seen as complex dynamical systems. In this study we investigate the dynamic behaviour of individuals to see whether or not we can expect a transition to another mood state. We introduce a mean field model to a binomial process, where we reduce a dynamic multidimensional system (stochastic cellular automaton) to a one-dimensional system to analyse the dynamics. Using maximum likelihood estimation, we can estimate the parameter of interest which, in combination with a bifurcation diagram, reflects the expectancy that someone has to transition to another mood state. After validating the proposed method with simulated data, we apply this method to two empirical examples, where we show its use in a clinical sample consisting of patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder, and a general population sample. Results showed that the majority of the clinical sample was categorized as having an expectancy for a transition, while the majority of the general population sample did not have this expectancy. We conclude that the mean field model has great potential in assessing the expectancy for a transition between mood states. With some extensions it could, in the future, aid clinical therapists in the treatment of depressed patients.

Delayed transitions depression

The hypothesis defended here is that the process of mood-normalizing transitions fails in a significant proportion of patients suffering from major depressive disorder. Such a failure is largely unrelated to the psychological content. Evidence for the hypothesis is provided by the highly variable and unpredictable time-courses of the depressive episodes.

Modeling the Dynamics of Mood and Depression

Proceedings of the 2008 Conference on Ecai 2008 18th European Conference on Artificial Intelligence, 2008

Both for developing human-like virtual agents and for developing intelligent systems that make use of knowledge about the emotional state of the user, it is important to model the mood of a person. In this paper, a model for simulating the dynamics of mood is presented, based on psychological theories about a unipolar clinical depression. The model was analyzed mathematically and by means of simulations, and it was shown that the model exhibits the most important characteristics of the theories. It shows how stress factors under some conditions can lead to a depression, while it will not lead to a depression under other conditions.