3.1. Clinical and sociodemographic data
depressive, HAMD, psychiatric
The clinical and sociodemographic data of the study participants are summarised below. Other than a significantly higher level of education and employment rate in the control group than in the patient group, the other sociodemographic data were similar in both groups. No difference was found between the treatment and sham groups in respect of clinical characteristics such as age at first psychiatric presentation, number of depressive episodes, duration of last depressive episode, and history of in-patient treatment (The mean HAM-D points decreased from 22.2 ± 4.85 to 7.13 ± 3.9 in the treatment group, and from 20.20 ± 4.96 to 11.73 ± 4.75 in the sham group. The mean MADRS points decreased from 33.06 ± 7.28 to 10.93 ± 5.28 in the treatment group, and from 31.73 ± 8.92 to 17.60 ± 5.22 in the sham group. A significant decrease was determined in the MADRS and HAMD scores in both groups (p < 0.05), with a greater difference from pre- to postprocess in the active stimulation group. The mean HAM-D score decreased by mean 15.06 points in the group receiving active stimulation, and by 8.46 points in the sham group. The MADRS mean score decreased by 22.13 points in the active stimulation group, and by 14.13 points in the sham group (