The Relationships Between Personal Factors, Depression, and Adaptation Among Employees with a Major Depressive Disorder

Abstract

The number of employees with a major depressive disorder (MDD) is increasing around the world, and it is having a negative effect on their families and societies. Effective adaptation is an important element of their problem coping and role function modes. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between personal factors, depression, and adaptation among outpatients with depression. The participants consisted of 138 patients being treated at the outpatient department of the Nakhon Ratchasima Rajanagarindra Hospital for MDD and who were gainfully employed who were randomly samples using the G^* Power program. Research instruments included a demographic data questionnaire, a patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) (Cronbach’s alpha coefficient = 0.83), and an adaptation questionnaire (Cronbach’s alpha coefficient = 0.84). Data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations, Chi-squares, and Pearson’s correlation coefficients. The findings revealed that the participants had mean scores for depression at a mild level (M = 6.99, SD = .56) and adaptation at a moderate level (M = 2.31, SD = .58). Depression was negatively and significantly related to adaptation (r = -.607, df = 2, p < .01) and was negatively and significantly related to their physiological mode, self-concept mode, role function mode, and interdependence mode (r = -.638, r = -.666, r = -.549, r = -.636, p < .01, respectively). The results clearly shows the relationships between depression and the four modes of adaptation. The results provide important information that psychiatric and mental health nurses need to employ appropriate nursing practices and continue activities in order to promote better adaptation among outpatients with depression.