Prevalence and incidence of depressive disorder: the Baltimore ECA follow-up, 1981-2004.
OBJECTIVE
To describe trends in prevalence and incidence of depressive disorder in a cohort from Eastern Baltimore.


METHODS
Twenty-three-year-old longitudinal cohort, the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area Follow-up. Participants were selected probabilistically from the household population in 1981, and interviewed in 1981, 1993, and 2004. Diagnoses were made via the Diagnostic Interview Schedule according to successive editions of the American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual.


RESULTS
Older age, lower education, non-White race, and cognitive impairment are independent predictors of attrition due to death and loss of contact, but depressive disorder is not related to attrition. Prevalence rates rise for females between 1981, 1993, and 2004. Incidence rates in the period 1993-2004 are lower than the period 1981-1993, suggesting the rise in prevalence is due to increasing chronicity.


CONCLUSIONS
There has been a rise in the prevalence of depression in the prior quarter century among middle-aged females.
Eaton
W W
WW
Department of Mental Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. weaton@jhsph.edu
Kalaydjian
A
A
Scharfstein
D O
DO
Mezuk
B
B
Ding
Y
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015142:Baltimore / Q000453:epidemiology; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010552:Personality Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*