Evaluation of insight in major depressive disorder: A comparativeestudy of insight scales

ABSTRACT Evaluation of insight in major depressive disorder: A comparativeestudy of insight scales INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: To our knowledge, thereeis no study in the literatureethat uses multiple insight scales to evaluate insight in majör depressive disorder (MDD) patients, examines the correlation between these scales, and explores the relationship between insight scales and symptom severity. Our study aims to investigate the correlations among various insight scales in MDD patients, the correlations between insight scales and disease severity, and the predictive capacity of insight scales for depressive symptoms. METHODS: The study included 80 MDD patients who applied to theePsychiatry Clinic of Sakarya UniversityyTraining and Research Hospital. Initially, a SCID-1 interview, compatible with DSM-5, was conducted with the patients. The sociodemographic dataaform, Hamilton Depression Scale (HDS), Brown Assessment of BeliefssScale (BABS), Scale to Assess the Three Components.of Insight (SAI), and Scale of Unawarenesssof Mental Disorder (SUMD) were administered by the clinician. The BeckkDepression Inventory (BDI), Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS), Self-Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS), and Metacognition Questionnaire (MCQ) were filleddout by the patients. RESULTS: No.relationship was found between sociodemographic variables and levels of symptom severity and insight. It was found.that as the severity of MDD symptoms increased, the level of insight measured by insight scales, except for the MCQ, decreased. The scale that best.predicted the total symptom level of HDS was SAI, followed by MCQ and BABS. The two measurement tools that best.predicted the total symptom level of BDI were SRIS and MCQ, respectively. CONCLUSION: In patients with MDD, a decrease in insight is associated.with an increase in disease severity. It has been shown.that as the severity of MDD symptoms increases, pathological metacognitive processes also increase. The predictive capacity of insight scales for depressive symptoms varied. It appears important to consider the concept of insight in MDD from clinical, cognitive, and metacognitive perspectives. Keywords: Insight, insight scales, major depressive disorder, symptom severity