At baseline, the participants were diagnosed as having MDD and/or dysthymic disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Inventory (MINI),22,23 and were also assessed for depression by trained clinicians and psychiatric investigators. Demographic data and psychosocial variables, as reported by the participants, were then collected by research assistants. The participants were followed up at 3-month intervals over a one-year period (five assessments, including baseline). The 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17) and Clinical Global Impression (CGI) were evaluated by investigators at each visit; however, a complete set of measurements (all using clinician-rated and self-reporting questionnaires) was carried out three times; first at baseline, the second time at visit 3, and the third time at visit 5.