Discriminant analysis of occupational performance characteristics in patients with major depressive disorders and healthy individuals

Assessing symptoms and daily functioning in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) can be challenging, as their limited self-monitoring abilities may result in behavior observed during structured interviews not accurately reflecting their daily lives. This study aimed to determine if specific occupational behaviors could distinguish individuals with MDD from healthy individuals. Baseline data were collected from medical records and activity programs. Three occupational therapists conducted content analysis to assess occupational performance characteristics. Chi-squared tests compared the prevalence of these characteristics between patients with MDD and healthy controls. Multivariable logistic regression controlled for potential confounders, with independent variables selected based on clinical relevance and sample size (