title: Relationship between social phobia and depression differs between boys and girls in mid-adolescence.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Earlier studies suggest that social phobia (SP) and depression (DEP) often have their onset in adolescence, and are highly comorbid, with SP mainly preceding depression. There is a lack of population-based prospective studies among adolescents vulnerable to both disorders, taking into account possible gender differences in the relationship between the two.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study is part of a prospective Adolescent Mental Health Cohort (AMHC) study. Subjects are 9th grade pupils (mean age 15.5 years (sd 0.39)) responding to a survey conducted 2002-2003 (T1) and a 2-year follow-up 2004-2005 (T2) (N=2038). Social phobia was measured by the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) and depression by the 13-item Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-13).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Risk for depression at T2 by SP at T1 was elevated only among boys (OR 3.6, 95% C.I. 1.507-8.579, p=0.004), whereas among girls, risk for SP at T2 by DEP at T1 was elevated (OR 7.8, 95% CI 4.529-13.391, p<0.001). The course of both disorders was unstable and recovery was common.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lack of diagnostic interviews and fairly high drop-out rate (36.9%) in follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The relationship between SP and depression in adolescence seems different for boys and girls. Further studies are needed to explore factors explaining the different course of these disorders among boys and girls. Clinicians need to be alert to comorbidity when examining an adolescent with SP or depression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Adolescent Psychiatry, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland. juha.vaananen@pshp.fi
authors.forename: Juha-Matti
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Väänänen
authors.forename: Sari
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fröjd
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ranta
authors.forename: Mauri
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marttunen
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Helminen
authors.forename: Riittakerttu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaltiala-Heino
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000339:Affect; D017668:Age of Onset; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders; D010555:Personality Inventory; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors