Demographic, family, and occupational characteristics associated with major depression: the Harvard study of moods and cycles.
OBJECTIVE
This study assesses the extent to which women with and without major depression differ by demographic, familial, and occupational characteristics.


METHODS
From a community-based sample, the authors identified 332 women with and 644 women without current or past major depression based on Structured Clinical Interviews for DSM-IV. Demographic and background interviews were conducted in-person.


RESULTS
Depressed women were more likely to have gained >or =35 lbs between age 18 and study enrollment (OR=1.6, 95% CI 1.1-2.5), experienced divorce (OR=2.0, 95% CI 1.4-2.8), or changed occupations (OR=1.5, 95% CI 1.1-2.1) compared with non-depressed women. Compared with women with no brothers, those with > or =1 brothers were less likely to have a history of depression (OR=0.8, 95% CI 0.6-1.1), whereas compared with women with no sisters, those with > or =1 sisters were more likely to have current or past depression (OR=1.4, 95% CI 1.0-1.9). These findings were not influenced by family sibship size.


CONCLUSIONS
These results illustrate demographic differences between women with and without major depression and that sibship gender rather than size may also influence risk.
Harlow
B L
BL
The Obstetrics and Gynecology Epidemiology Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
Cohen
L S
LS
Otto
M W
MW
Liberman
R F
RF
Spiegelman
D
D
Cramer
D W
DW
D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003710:Demography; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D009679:Nuclear Family; D009790:Occupations; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012737:Sex Factors