The symptomatic expression of major depressive disorder in adolescents and young adults.
Data from the Oregon Adolescent Depression Project were used to examine the symptomatic expression of major depressive disorder (MDD) as a function of age and gender. The objective was to investigate the phenomenological nature of MDD among a cohort of adolescents as they progressed into early adulthood. The analyses were based on 564 participants who had experienced MDD in their lifetime. No systematic differences in the relative rate of occurrence of specific symptoms across episodes and only minor symptom differences between male and female participants were found. Age did not significantly influence the symptom picture. Stability of specific symptoms and episode severity across episodes was low. The results are discussed within the context of a stressor-symptom matching model.
Lewinsohn
Peter M
PM
Oregon Research Institute, Eugene 97403-1983, USA. pete@ori.org
Pettit
Jeremy W
JW
Joiner
Thomas E
TE
Seeley
John R
JR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires