title: Family history of mood disorder and characteristics of major depressive disorder: a STAR*D (sequenced treatment alternatives to relieve depression) study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Clinicians routinely ask patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) about their family history. It is unknown, however, if patients who report a positive family history differ from those who do not. This study compared the demographic and clinical features of a large cohort of treatment-seeking outpatients with non-psychotic MDD who reported that they did or did not have at least one first-degree relative who had either MDD or bipolar disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were recruited for the STAR( *)D multicenter trial. Differences in demographic and clinical features for patients with and without a family history of mood disorders were assessed after correcting for age, sex, race, and ethnicity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with a family history of mood disorder (n=2265; 56.5%) were more frequently women and had an earlier age of onset of depression, as compared to those without such a history (n=1740; 43.5%). No meaningful differences were found in depressive symptoms, severity, recurrence, depressive subtype, or daily function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women were twice as likely as men to report a positive family history of mood disorder, and a positive family history was associated with younger age of onset of MDD in the proband. Consistent with prior research, early age of onset appears to define a familial and, by extension, genetic subtype of major depressive disorder.
authors.affiliation: Depression Clinical and Research Program, ACC 812, Massachusetts General Hospital, 15 Parkman Street, Boston, MA 01224, USA. anierenberg@partners.org
authors.forename: Andrew A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Nierenberg
authors.forename: Madhukar H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Trivedi
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fava
authors.forename: Melanie M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Biggs
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shores-Wilson
authors.forename: Stephen R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Wisniewski
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Balasubramani
authors.forename: A John
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Rush
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003710:Demography; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D010045:Outpatients; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors