Risk factors for depressive disorders in the Lundby cohort--a 50 year prospective clinical follow-up.
BACKGROUND
Depressive disorders are common and disabling. The Lundby Study is a prospective study of a community sample that started in 1947 (N=2550). In 1957, 1013 newcomers were added. The latest field investigation was carried out in 1997.


OBJECTIVE
To identify risk factors for depressive disorders.


METHODS
The Lundby database contains clinical assessments of the subjects made by psychiatrists. It also includes information about socio-demographic factors and episodes of somatic and mental disorders. Two different but partly overlapping cohorts from the same geographical area in 1947 (N=2470) and in 1957 (N=3310) were investigated. During follow-up 418 individuals experienced their first depressive disorder. For each cohort, possible risk factors were analysed by means of Cox regression analyses for the whole sample and for each sex separately.


CONCLUSIONS
The personality trait nervous/tense and anxiety disorders were statistically significant risk factors for depression for both genders. For males, the diagnoses alcohol disorders and tiredness disorder were risk factors. The personality trait subvalidity (low grade of energy) and nervous symptoms as a child were also risk factors for males. For females personality traits such as being easily hurt, abnormal/antisocial and tired/distracted were associated with depressive disorders.


CONCLUSIONS
Knowledge of risk factors may help to reduce incidence of depression.
Mattisson
Cecilia
C
Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Lund, Division of Psychiatry, The Lundby Study, Lund University Hospital, SE-221 85 Lund, Sweden. cecilia.mattisson@med.lu.se
Bogren
Mats
M
Horstmann
Vibeke
V
Tambs
Kristian
K
Munk-Jörgensen
Povl
P
Nettelbladt
Per
P
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005221:Fatigue / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology