First-time hospitalisation for depressive and/or anxiety disorders and severe life events.
BACKGROUND
It has been suggested that the impact of antecedent life events differs between first and subsequent episodes of depressive or anxiety disorders.


METHODS
We used the Bedford College methodology to determine the presence of severe events and/or major difficulties in two different groups of patients hospitalised for neurotic disorders, and in a control group of healthy subjects from the general population.


RESULTS
The experience of severe events and/or major difficulties was significantly higher in patients being hospitalised for the first time than in patients who had been hospitalised several times, or in the control group. This difference was observed for female patients only.


CONCLUSIONS
Two hypotheses are put forward as an explanation of these results.
Amiel-Lebigre
F
F
CNRS Département d'Etude et de Recherche en Santé Publique, CHS La Verrière, 78321 Le Mesnil St Denis, France.
Lacalmontie
E
E
Menard
F
F
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010297:Paris / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors