title: Age at onset of major depressive disorder in Han Chinese women: relationship with clinical features and family history.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Individuals with early-onset depression may be a clinically distinct group with particular symptom patterns, illness course, comorbidity and family history. This question has not been previously investigated in a Han Chinese population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined the clinical features of 1970 Han Chinese women with DSM-IV major depressive disorder (MDD) between 30 and 60 years of age across China. Analysis of linear, logistic and multiple logistic regression models was used to determine the association between age at onset (AAO) with continuous, binary and discrete characteristic clinical features of MDD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Earlier AAO was associated with more suicidal ideation and attempts and higher neuroticism, but fewer sleep, appetite and weight changes. Patients with an earlier AAO were more likely to suffer a chronic course (longer illness duration, more MDD episodes and longer index episode), increased rates of MDD in their parents and a lower likelihood of marriage. They tend to have higher comorbidity with anxiety disorders (general anxiety disorder, social phobia and agoraphobia) and dysthymia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early AAO in MDD may be an index of a more severe, highly comorbid and familial disorder. Our findings indicate that the features of MDD in China are similar to those reported elsewhere in the world.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Mental Health Centre, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, No. 600 South Wan Ping Road, Shanghai 200030, PR China.
authors.forename: Fuzhong
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authors.lastname: Yang
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authors.forename: Chunhong
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authors.forename: Wenyuan
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authors.forename: Zhen
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authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhaoyu
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authors.lastname: Gan
authors.forename: Juyi
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authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Jiyang
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authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Honghui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shufan
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authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Hong
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authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Ying
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authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Qiaoling
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authors.forename: Xueyi
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authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Juling
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authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Luxian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Yunchun
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authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Baowei
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: Yuping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ning
authors.forename: Yiping
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authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Kenneth S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kendler
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Flint
authors.forename: Shenxun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000379:Agoraphobia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002681:China; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D019263:Dysthymic Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008393:Marriage; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D011379:Prognosis; D059020:Suicidal Ideation