Social functioning and associated social skills in patients with depressive disorder in Psychiatric Outpatient, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital

Abstract

Background: The impaired social skills of these patients also affected the patients’ daily lives. However, there were limited studies concerning on social functioning, social skills and associated factors of patients with depressive disorder.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate social functioning, social skills, and associated factors of patients with depressive disorder.

Methods: We recruited 150 patients from June to December 2019, aged above 18 years old, assessed: 1) Demographic data form; 2) Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) - Thai Version; 3) Social Skills Inventory; 4) Interpersonal Reactivity Index; and 5) Social Functioning Questionnaires (SFQ) – Thai Version, and the investigator completed the medical record form. The association between social skills, impaired social functioning and associated factors was analyzed.

Results: Most patients with depressive disorder were young female. Ninety – eight patients (65.3%) had impaired social functioning. Fifty – three patients (35.3%) had social skills deficits. The associated factors of impaired social functioning were: having physical illnesses (P < 0.05), severe level of depression (P < 0.01), and very low-to-low level of social skills (P < 0.01). The domains of social skills associated with the impaired social functioning were low emotional sensitivity, low social expressivity, and low social control (P < 0.05). The predictors of impaired social functioning were having a physical illness (P < 0.01), severe depression (P < 0.01), and very low to low of social skills (P < 0.01).

Conclusion: Most patients with depressive disorder had impaired social functioning. Having physical illnesses, very low-to-low level of social skills and severe depression were associated with the patients’ impaired social functioning. The enhancement of patients’ social skills and social functioning should help reducing their depressive symptoms