Five risk factors for depression.
Significantly more of 300 patients with non-endogenous depression compared with 300 matched controls were unemployed and had a poor marriage before the onset of depression, had a first-degree relative who had been treated for depression, had experienced separation for one year or more from a parent before 17 years of age and had three or more children under 14 years of age at home. However, significantly more of 44 patients with endogenous depression, than their 46 controls, also had a poor marriage before the onset of depression and 43% of them had a first-degree relative who had been treated for depression. Thus a family history of depression and a poor marriage before the onset of depression are associated with both non-endogenous and endogenous depression but unemployment, separation for one year or more from a parent before 17 years of age, and having three or more young children at home may be risk factors for non-endogenous depression.
Roy
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Clinical Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
D002668:Child Rearing; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D010290:Parents; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014478:Unemployment