Risk factors for depressive symptomatology in a drug using population.
This study employs a prospective design to examine possible personality, drug use, stressful life event, and social support-related variables associated with the onset of a depressive episode in a cohort of psychoactive drug using young adults. Two waves of data, collected one year apart, were available on 942 individuals. Cases (n = 62) were free of depressive symptoms at time 1 but reported significant symptomatology at time 2 as measured by the depression subscale of the Brief Symptom Inventory. Controls (n = 490) were those free of depressive symptoms at both time points. In multivariate analyses, users of the central nervous system depressant methaqualone had a nearly four-fold elevated risk for depressed mood as compared to nonusers. Additional risk factors significant after multivariate adjustment included lower self-esteem at time 1 and negative life events. These results highlight the multifactorial nature of depressive symptomatology.
Buckner
J C
JC
Department of Mental Hygiene, School of Hygiene and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
Mandell
W
W
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008396:Maryland / Q000453:epidemiology; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D012944:Social Support; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*