Participants
MDDs were inpatients and outpatients of the Department
of Psychiatry, Inje University Ilsan Paik Hospital in
Goyang, Korea. HCs were recruited with flyers in the
Seoul and Ilsan areas as well as through online advertisements
(e.g., Facebook). A total of 54 participants (26
MDDs and 28 HCs) consented to participate and were administered
a Korean version of the Mini-International
Neuropsychiatric Interview-Plus (MINI-Plus)22) by a
trained interviewer. The MINI-Plus is a short structured
clinical interview that was developed according to criteria
listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders, 4th edition23) and the International Statistical
Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems.24)
Patients were included only when they met criteria for
MDD. Patients were excluded based on the following criteria:
(1) lifetime history of psychotic symptoms, (2) lifetime
diagnosis of bipolar disorders, (3) alcohol dependence/
abuse in the past 6 months, and (4) observed mental
retardation. Out of the 26 MDDs, three were excluded because
they did not meet the criteria for current depression,
and one was excluded for not finishing the behavioral
tasks. As for comorbidity, five of the MDDs reported current
comorbid disorders, including panic disorder, anxiety
disorder not otherwise specified, and somatization
disorder. All MDDs except one patient were currently taking
psychotropic medication.
The required inclusion criterion for HCs was no current
or history of mental disorder. HCs were also excluded
when they scored higher than 14 on the Beck Depression
Inventory-II (BDI-II). Three HCs were excluded for meeting
this depression criterion. Thus, a total of 25 HCs (17,
female) and 22 MDDs (16, female) were included in the
analysis