BackgroundChildhood maltreatment (CM) is a strong risk factor for psychiatric disorders but serves in its current definitions as an umbrella for various fundamentally different childhood... Show moreBackgroundChildhood maltreatment (CM) is a strong risk factor for psychiatric disorders but serves in its current definitions as an umbrella for various fundamentally different childhood experiences. As first step toward a more refined analysis of the impact of CM, our objective is to revisit the relation of abuse and neglect, major subtypes of CM, with symptoms across disorders.MethodsThree longitudinal studies of major depressive disorder (MDD, N = 1240), bipolar disorder (BD, N = 1339), and schizophrenia (SCZ, N = 577), each including controls (N = 881), were analyzed. Multivariate regression models were used to examine the relation between exposure to abuse, neglect, or their combination to the odds for MDD, BD, SCZ, and symptoms across disorders. Bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) was used to probe causality, using genetic instruments of abuse and neglect derived from UK Biobank data (N = 143 473).ResultsAbuse was the stronger risk factor for SCZ (OR 3.51, 95% CI 2.17–5.67) and neglect for BD (OR 2.69, 95% CI 2.09–3.46). Combined CM was related to increased risk exceeding additive effects of abuse and neglect for MDD (RERI = 1.4) and BD (RERI = 1.1). Across disorders, abuse was associated with hallucinations (OR 2.16, 95% CI 1.55–3.01) and suicide attempts (OR 2.16, 95% CI 1.55–3.01) whereas neglect was associated with agitation (OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.02–1.51) and reduced need for sleep (OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.08–2.48). MR analyses were consistent with a bidirectional causal effect of abuse with SCZ (IVWforward = 0.13, 95% CI 0.01–0.24).ConclusionsChildhood abuse and neglect are associated with different risks to psychiatric symptoms and disorders. Unraveling the origin of these differences may advance understanding of disease etiology and ultimately facilitate development of improved personalized treatment strategies. Show less
BackgroundChildhood trauma (CT) has been cross-sectionally associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS), a group of biological risk factors for cardiometabolic disease. Longitudinal studies, while... Show moreBackgroundChildhood trauma (CT) has been cross-sectionally associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS), a group of biological risk factors for cardiometabolic disease. Longitudinal studies, while rare, would clarify the development of cardiometabolic dysregulations over time. Therefore, we longitudinally investigated the association of CT with the 9-year course of MetS components.MethodsParticipants (N = 2958) from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety were assessed four times across 9 years. The CT interview retrospectively assessed childhood emotional neglect and physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Metabolic outcomes encompassed continuous MetS components (waist circumference, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein [HDL] cholesterol, blood pressure [BP], and glucose) and count of clinically elevated MetS components. Mixed-effects models estimated sociodemographic- and lifestyle-adjusted longitudinal associations of CT with metabolic outcomes over time. Time interactions evaluated change in these associations.ResultsCT was reported by 49% of participants. CT was consistently associated with increased waist (b = 0.32, s.e. = 0.10, p = 0.001), glucose (b = 0.02, s.e. = 0.01, p < 0.001), and count of MetS components (b = 0.04, s.e. = 0.01, p < 0.001); and decreased HDL cholesterol (b = −0.01, s.e.<0.01, p = .020) and systolic BP (b = −0.33, s.e. = 0.13, p = 0.010). These associations were mainly driven by severe CT and unaffected by lifestyle. Only systolic BP showed a CT-by-time interaction, where CT was associated with lower systolic BP initially and with higher systolic BP at the last follow-up.ConclusionsOver time, adults with CT have overall persistent poorer metabolic outcomes than their non-maltreated peers. Individuals with CT have an increased risk for cardiometabolic disease and may benefit from monitoring and early interventions targeting metabolism. Show less
Forbes, M.K.; Neo, B.; Nezami, O.M.; Fried E.I.; Faure, K.; Michelsen, B.; ... ; Dras, M. as M. 2023
BackgroundDepression is associated with metabolic alterations including lipid dysregulation, whereby associations may vary across individual symptoms. Evaluating these associations using a network... Show moreBackgroundDepression is associated with metabolic alterations including lipid dysregulation, whereby associations may vary across individual symptoms. Evaluating these associations using a network perspective yields a more complete insight than single outcome-single predictor models.MethodsWe used data from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (N = 2498) and leveraged networks capturing associations between 30 depressive symptoms (Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology) and 46 metabolites. Analyses involved 4 steps: creating a network with Mixed Graphical Models; calculating centrality measures; bootstrapping for stability testing; validating central, stable associations by extra covariate-adjustment; and validation using another data wave collected 6 years later.ResultsThe network yielded 28 symptom-metabolite associations. There were 15 highly-central variables (8 symptoms, 7 metabolites), and 3 stable links involving the symptoms Low energy (fatigue), and Hypersomnia. Specifically, fatigue showed consistent associations with higher mean diameter for VLDL particles and lower estimated degree of (fatty acid) unsaturation. These remained present after adjustment for lifestyle and health-related factors and using another data wave.ConclusionsThe somatic symptoms Fatigue and Hypersomnia and cholesterol and fatty acid measures showed central, stable, and consistent relationships in our network. The present analyses showed how metabolic alterations are more consistently linked to specific symptom profiles. Show less
Hanssen, I.; Huijbers, M.; Regeer, E.; Bennekom, M.L. van; Stevens, A.; Dijk, P. van; ... ; Speckens, A.E. 2023
BackgroundMindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) seems a promising intervention for bipolar disorder (BD), but there is a lack of randomised controlled trials (RCT) investigating this. The... Show moreBackgroundMindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) seems a promising intervention for bipolar disorder (BD), but there is a lack of randomised controlled trials (RCT) investigating this. The purpose of this multicentre, evaluator blinded RCT was to investigate the added value of MBCT to treatment as usual (TAU) in BD up to 15 months follow-up (NCT03507647). MethodsA total of 144 participants with BD type I and II were randomised to MBCT + TAU (n = 72) and TAU (n = 72). Primary outcome was current depressive symptoms. Secondary outcomes were current (hypo)manic and anxiety symptoms, recurrence rates, rumination, dampening of positive affect, functional impairment, mindfulness skills, self-compassion, and positive mental health. Potential moderators of treatment outcome were examined. ResultsMBCT + TAU was not more efficacious than TAU in reducing current depressive symptoms at post-treatment (95% CI [-7.0 to 1.8], p = 0.303, d = 0.24) or follow-up (95% CI [-2.2 to 6.3], p = 0.037, d = 0.13). At post-treatment, MBCT + TAU was more effective than TAU in improving mindfulness skills. At follow-up, TAU was more effective than MBCT + TAU in reducing trait anxiety and improving mindfulness skills and positive mental health. Exploratory analysis revealed that participants with higher depressive symptoms and functional impairment at baseline benefitted more from MBCT + TAU than TAU. ConclusionsIn these participants with highly recurrent BD, MBCT may be a treatment option in addition to TAU for those who suffer from moderate to severe levels of depression and functional impairment. Show less
Driessen, E.; Fokkema, M.; Dekker, J.J. M.; Peen, J.; Van Henricus, L., Maina, Gi.; Rosso, G.; ... ; Wienicke, F.J., Cuijpers, P. 2022
Background: In research and clinical practice, familial risk for depression and anxiety is often constructed as a simple Yes/No dichotomous family history (FH) indicator. However, this measure may... Show moreBackground: In research and clinical practice, familial risk for depression and anxiety is often constructed as a simple Yes/No dichotomous family history (FH) indicator. However, this measure may not fully capture the liability to these conditions. This study investigated whether a continuous familial loading score (FLS), incorporating family- and disorder-specific characteristics (e.g. family size, prevalence of depression/anxiety), (i) is associated with a polygenic risk score (PRS) for major depression and with clinical/psychosocial vulnerabilities and (ii) still captures variation in clinical/psychosocial vulnerabilities after information on FH has been taken into account. Methods: Data came from 1425 participants with lifetime depression and/or anxiety from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety. The Family Tree Inventory was used to determine FLS/FH indicators for depression and/or anxiety. Results: Persons with higher FLS had higher PRS for major depression, more severe depression and anxiety symptoms, higher disease burden, younger age of onset, and more neuroticism, rumination, and childhood trauma. Among these variables, FH was not associated with PRS, severity of symptoms, and neuroticism. After regression out the effect of FH from the FLS, the resulting residualized measure of FLS was still associated with severity of symptoms of depression and anxiety, rumination, and childhood trauma. Conclusions: Familial risk for depression and anxiety deserves clinical attention due to its associated genetic vulnerability and more unfavorable disease profile, and seems to be better captured by a continuous score that incorporates family- and disorder-specific characteristics than by a dichotomous FH measure. Show less
Kokkeler, K.J.E.; Marijnissen, R.M.; Wardenaar, K.J.; Rhebergen, D.; Brink, R.H.S. van den; Mast, R.C. van der; Voshaar, R.C.O. 2022
Background Inflammation and metabolic dysregulation are age-related physiological changes and are associated with depressive disorder. We tried to identify subgroups of depressed older patients... Show moreBackground Inflammation and metabolic dysregulation are age-related physiological changes and are associated with depressive disorder. We tried to identify subgroups of depressed older patients based on their metabolic-inflammatory profile and examined the course of depression for these subgroups. Methods This clinical cohort study was conducted in a sample of 364 depressed older (> 60 years) patients according to DSM-IV criteria. Severity of depressive symptoms was monitored every 6 months and a formal diagnostic interview repeated at 2-year follow-up. Latent class analyses based on baseline metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers were performed. Adjusted for confounders, we compared remission of depression at 2-year follow-up between the metabolic-inflammatory subgroups with logistic regression and the course of depression severity over 2-years by linear mixed models. Results We identified a 'healthy' subgroup (n = 181, 49.7%) and five subgroups characterized by different profiles of metabolic-inflammatory dysregulation. Compared to the healthy subgroup, patients in the subgroup with mild 'metabolic and inflammatory dysregulation' (n = 137, 37.6%) had higher depressive symptom scores, a lower rate of improvement in the first year, and were less likely to be remitted after 2-years [OR 0.49 (95% CI 0.26-0.91)]. The four smaller subgroups characterized by a more specific immune-inflammatory dysregulation profile did not differ from the two main subgroups regarding the course of depression. Conclusions Nearly half of the patients with late-life depressions suffer from metabolic-inflammatory dysregulation, which is also associated with more severe depression and a worse prognosis. Future studies should examine whether these depressed older patients benefit from a metabolic-inflammatory targeted treatment. Show less
Background The development of childhood anxiety disorders (CADs) is likely to depend on pathways that can be programmed by early-life risk factors. We test the hypothesis that early-life maternal... Show moreBackground The development of childhood anxiety disorders (CADs) is likely to depend on pathways that can be programmed by early-life risk factors. We test the hypothesis that early-life maternal factors can predict this programming effect on CAD. Methods Data were obtained from 198 women and children from the Mercy Pregnancy and Emotional Wellbeing Study (MPEWS), a cohort study with data collected across pregnancy, postpartum and until 4 years of age. Maternal antenatal depression was measured using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-IV), together with antenatal hair cortisol concentrations, maternal childhood trauma and parenting stress at 6 months postpartum. CAD was assessed with the Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment and the Child Behaviour Checklist. Results Antenatal depression, a history of maternal childhood trauma and lower gestational age at birth were each associated with anxiety disorders at 4 years of age in their children. A multivariate binary logistic model with these early predictors explained approximately 9% of variance in CAD outcome at 4 years of age; however, only maternal trauma and gestational age were significant predictors in the model. The effect of early parenting stress on CAD was found to vary by the concentration of maternal antenatal hair cortisol, whereby postpartum parenting stress was associated with CAD only when there were higher maternal antenatal cortisol levels. Conclusions This study suggests the importance of maternal factors pre-conception, pregnancy and in the postnatal period, which predict CADs and this is consistent with a developmental programming hypothesis for CAD. Show less
Background: Military personnel deployed to combat and peacekeeping missions are exposed to high rates of traumatic events. Accumulating evidence suggests an important association between deployment... Show moreBackground: Military personnel deployed to combat and peacekeeping missions are exposed to high rates of traumatic events. Accumulating evidence suggests an important association between deployment and the development of other mental health symptoms beyond post-traumatic stress disorder. Methods: This study examined the prevalence of agoraphobia, anxiety, depression, and hostility symptoms in a cohort of Dutch ISAF veterans (N = 978) from pre-deployment up to 10 years after homecoming. The interaction of potential moderating factors with the change in mental health symptoms relative to pre-deployment was investigated at each time point. Results: The probable prevalence of agoraphobia, anxiety, depression, and hostility symptoms significantly increased over time to respectively 6.5, 2.7, 3.5, and 6.2% at 10 years after deployment. Except for hostility symptoms, the probable prevalence at 10 years after deployment was the highest compared to all previous follow-up assessments. Importantly, less perceived social support after returning from deployment was found as a risk factor for all different mental health symptoms. Unit support was not associated with the development of mental health problems. Conclusions: This study suggests a probable broad and long-term impact of deployment on the mental health of military service members. Due to the lack of a non-deployed control group, causal effects of deployment could not be demonstrated. Continued effort should nevertheless be made in the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of mental health symptoms, even a decade after deployment. The findings also underscore the importance of social support after homecoming and its potential for the prevention of long-term mental health problems. Show less
BackgroundMilitary personnel deployed to combat and peacekeeping missions are exposed to high rates of traumatic events. Accumulating evidence suggests an important association between deployment... Show moreBackgroundMilitary personnel deployed to combat and peacekeeping missions are exposed to high rates of traumatic events. Accumulating evidence suggests an important association between deployment and the development of other mental health symptoms beyond post-traumatic stress disorder.MethodsThis study examined the prevalence of agoraphobia, anxiety, depression, and hostility symptoms in a cohort of Dutch ISAF veterans (N = 978) from pre-deployment up to 10 years after homecoming. The interaction of potential moderating factors with the change in mental health symptoms relative to pre-deployment was investigated at each time point.ResultsThe probable prevalence of agoraphobia, anxiety, depression, and hostility symptoms significantly increased over time to respectively 6.5, 2.7, 3.5, and 6.2% at 10 years after deployment. Except for hostility symptoms, the probable prevalence at 10 years after deployment was the highest compared to all previous follow-up assessments. Importantly, less perceived social support after returning from deployment was found as a risk factor for all different mental health symptoms. Unit support was not associated with the development of mental health problems.ConclusionsThis study suggests a probable broad and long-term impact of deployment on the mental health of military service members. Due to the lack of a non-deployed control group, causal effects of deployment could not be demonstrated. Continued effort should nevertheless be made in the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of mental health symptoms, even a decade after deployment. The findings also underscore the importance of social support after homecoming and its potential for the prevention of long-term mental health problems. Show less
Bokma, W.A.; Zhutovsky, P.; Giltay, E.J.; Schoevers, R.A.; Penninx, B.W.J.H.; Balkom, A.L.J.M. van; ... ; Wingen, G.A. van 2022
Background Disease trajectories of patients with anxiety disorders are highly diverse and approximately 60% remain chronically ill. The ability to predict disease course in individual patients... Show moreBackground Disease trajectories of patients with anxiety disorders are highly diverse and approximately 60% remain chronically ill. The ability to predict disease course in individual patients would enable personalized management of these patients. This study aimed to predict recovery from anxiety disorders within 2 years applying a machine learning approach. Methods In total, 887 patients with anxiety disorders (panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, or social phobia) were selected from a naturalistic cohort study. A wide array of baseline predictors (N = 569) from five domains (clinical, psychological, sociodemographic, biological, lifestyle) were used to predict recovery from anxiety disorders and recovery from all common mental disorders (CMDs: anxiety disorders, major depressive disorder, dysthymia, or alcohol dependency) at 2-year follow-up using random forest classifiers (RFCs). Results At follow-up, 484 patients (54.6%) had recovered from anxiety disorders. RFCs achieved a cross-validated area-under-the-receiving-operator-characteristic-curve (AUC) of 0.67 when using the combination of all predictor domains (sensitivity: 62.0%, specificity 62.8%) for predicting recovery from anxiety disorders. Classification of recovery from CMDs yielded an AUC of 0.70 (sensitivity: 64.6%, specificity: 62.3%) when using all domains. In both cases, the clinical domain alone provided comparable performances. Feature analysis showed that prediction of recovery from anxiety disorders was primarily driven by anxiety features, whereas recovery from CMDs was primarily driven by depression features. Conclusions The current study showed moderate performance in predicting recovery from anxiety disorders over a 2-year follow-up for individual patients and indicates that anxiety features are most indicative for anxiety improvement and depression features for improvement in general. Show less
Kullberg, M.L.; Schie, C. van; Sprang, E. van; Maciejewski, D.; Hartman, C.A.; Hemert, B. van; ... ; Elzinga, B.M. 2021
Background Childhood abuse and neglect often occurs within families and can have a large influence on mental well-being across the lifespan. However, the sibling concordance of emotional abuse and... Show moreBackground Childhood abuse and neglect often occurs within families and can have a large influence on mental well-being across the lifespan. However, the sibling concordance of emotional abuse and neglect (i.e. together referred to as emotional maltreatment; EM), physical abuse (PA) and sexual abuse (SA) and the long-term impact on the context of siblings' maltreatment experiences are unclear. To examine the influence of EM, PA and SA on adult depressive symptoms within the family framework we differentiate between (a) the family-wide (mean level of all siblings) effects and (b) the individual deviation from the mean family level of maltreatment. Methods The sample (N = 636) consists of 256 families, including at least one lifetime depressed or anxious individual and their siblings. Multilevel modeling was used to examine the family-wide and relative individual effects of childhood maltreatment (CM). Results (a) Siblings showed most similarity in their reports of EM followed by PA. SA was mostly reported by one person within a family. In line with these observations, the mean family levels of EM and PA, but not SA, were associated with more depressive symptoms. In addition, (b) depression levels were more elevated in individuals reporting more EM than the family mean. Conclusions Particularly in the case of more visible forms of CM, siblings' experiences of EM and PA are associated with the elevated levels of adult depressive symptoms. Findings implicate that in addition to individual maltreatment experiences, the context of siblings' experiences is another crucial risk factor for an individuals' adult depressive symptomatology. Show less
Kullberg, M.L.J.; Schie, C.C. van; Sprang, E. van; Maciejewski, D.; Hartman, C.A.; Hemert, B. van; ... ; Elzinga, B.M. 2021
Background: Childhood abuse and neglect often occurs within families and can have a large influence on mental well-being across the lifespan. However, the sibling concordance of emotional abuse and... Show moreBackground: Childhood abuse and neglect often occurs within families and can have a large influence on mental well-being across the lifespan. However, the sibling concordance of emotional abuse and neglect (i.e. together referred to as emotional maltreatment; EM), physical abuse (PA) and sexual abuse (SA) and the long-term impact on the context of siblings' maltreatment experiences are unclear. To examine the influence of EM, PA and SA on adult depressive symptoms within the family framework we differentiate between (a) the family-wide (mean level of all siblings) effects and (b) the individual deviation from the mean family level of maltreatment. Methods: The sample (N = 636) consists of 256 families, including at least one lifetime depressed or anxious individual and their siblings. Multilevel modeling was used to examine the family-wide and relative individual effects of childhood maltreatment (CM). Results: (a) Siblings showed most similarity in their reports of EM followed by PA. SA was mostly reported by one person within a family. In line with these observations, the mean family levels of EM and PA, but not SA, were associated with more depressive symptoms. In addition, (b) depression levels were more elevated in individuals reporting more EM than the family mean. Conclusions: Particularly in the case of more visible forms of CM, siblings' experiences of EM and PA are associated with the elevated levels of adult depressive symptoms. Findings implicate that in addition to individual maltreatment experiences, the context of siblings' experiences is another crucial risk factor for an individuals' adult depressive symptomatology. Show less
Background There is increasing interest in day-to-day affect fluctuations of patients with depressive and anxiety disorders. Few studies have compared repeated assessments of positive affect (PA)... Show moreBackground There is increasing interest in day-to-day affect fluctuations of patients with depressive and anxiety disorders. Few studies have compared repeated assessments of positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) across diagnostic groups, and fluctuation patterns were not uniformly defined. The aim of this study is to compare affect fluctuations in patients with a current episode of depressive or anxiety disorder, in remitted patients and in controls, using affect instability as a core concept but also describing other measures of variability and adjusting for possible confounders. Methods Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) data were obtained from 365 participants of the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety with current (n = 95), remitted (n = 178) or no (n = 92) DSM-IV defined depression/anxiety disorder. For 2 weeks, five times per day, participants filled-out items on PA and NA. Affect instability was calculated as the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD). Tests on group differences in RMSSD, within-person variance, and autocorrelation were performed, controlling for mean affect levels. Results Current depression/anxiety patients had the highest affect instability in both PA and NA, followed by remitters and then controls. Instability differences between groups remained significant when controlling for mean affect levels, but differences between current and remitted were no longer significant. Conclusions Patients with a current disorder have higher instability of NA and PA than remitted patients and controls. Especially with regard to NA, this could be interpreted as patients with a current disorder being more sensitive to internal and external stressors and having suboptimal affect regulation. Show less
Background A recent hypothesis postulates the existence of an 'immune-metabolic depression' (IMD) dimension characterized by metabolic dysregulations. Combining data on metabolomics and depressive... Show moreBackground A recent hypothesis postulates the existence of an 'immune-metabolic depression' (IMD) dimension characterized by metabolic dysregulations. Combining data on metabolomics and depressive symptoms, we aimed to identify depressions associated with an increased risk of adverse metabolic alterations. Method Clustering data were from 1094 individuals with major depressive disorder in the last 6 months and measures of 149 metabolites from a H-1-NMR platform and 30 depressive symptoms (IDS-SR30). Canonical correlation analyses (CCA) were used to identify main independent metabolite-symptom axes of variance. Then, for the replication, we examined the association of the identified dimensions with metabolites from the same platform and cardiometabolic diseases in an independent population-based cohort (n = 6572). Results CCA identified an overall depression dimension and a dimension resembling IMD, in which symptoms such as sleeping too much, increased appetite, and low energy level had higher relative loading. In the independent sample, the overall depression dimension was associated with lower cardiometabolic risk, such as (i.e. per s.d.) HOMA-1B -0.06 (95% CI -0.09 - -0.04), and visceral adipose tissue -0.10 cm(2) (95% CI -0.14 - -0.07). In contrast, the IMD dimension was associated with well-known cardiometabolic diseases such as higher visceral adipose tissue 0.08 cm(2) (95% CI 0.04-0.12), HOMA-1B 0.06 (95% CI 0.04-0.09), and lower HDL-cholesterol levels -0.03 mmol/L (95% CI -0.05 - -0.01). Conclusions Combining metabolomics and clinical symptoms we identified a replicable depression dimension associated with adverse metabolic alterations, in line with the IMD hypothesis. Patients with IMD may be at higher cardiometabolic risk and may benefit from specific treatment targeting underlying metabolic dysregulations. Show less
BackgroundA recent hypothesis postulates the existence of an ‘immune-metabolic depression’ (IMD) dimension characterized by metabolic dysregulations. Combining data on metabolomics and depressive... Show moreBackgroundA recent hypothesis postulates the existence of an ‘immune-metabolic depression’ (IMD) dimension characterized by metabolic dysregulations. Combining data on metabolomics and depressive symptoms, we aimed to identify depressions associated with an increased risk of adverse metabolic alterations.MethodClustering data were from 1094 individuals with major depressive disorder in the last 6 months and measures of 149 metabolites from a 1H-NMR platform and 30 depressive symptoms (IDS-SR30). Canonical correlation analyses (CCA) were used to identify main independent metabolite-symptom axes of variance. Then, for the replication, we examined the association of the identified dimensions with metabolites from the same platform and cardiometabolic diseases in an independent population-based cohort (n = 6572).ResultsCCA identified an overall depression dimension and a dimension resembling IMD, in which symptoms such as sleeping too much, increased appetite, and low energy level had higher relative loading. In the independent sample, the overall depression dimension was associated with lower cardiometabolic risk, such as (i.e. per s.d.) HOMA-1B −0.06 (95% CI −0.09 – −0.04), and visceral adipose tissue −0.10 cm2 (95% CI −0.14 – −0.07). In contrast, the IMD dimension was associated with well-known cardiometabolic diseases such as higher visceral adipose tissue 0.08 cm2 (95% CI 0.04–0.12), HOMA-1B 0.06 (95% CI 0.04–0.09), and lower HDL-cholesterol levels −0.03 mmol/L (95% CI −0.05 – −0.01).ConclusionsCombining metabolomics and clinical symptoms we identified a replicable depression dimension associated with adverse metabolic alterations, in line with the IMD hypothesis. Patients with IMD may be at higher cardiometabolic risk and may benefit from specific treatment targeting underlying metabolic dysregulations. Show less