title: Examining the relationship between lifetime stressful life events and the onset of major depression in Chinese women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In European and US studies, patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) report more stressful life events (SLEs) than controls, but this relationship has rarely been studied in Chinese populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixteen lifetime SLEs were assessed at interview in two groups of Han Chinese women: 1970 clinically ascertained with recurrent MDD and 2597 matched controls. Diagnostic and other risk factor information was assessed at personal interview. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated by logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  60% of controls and 72% of cases reported at least one lifetime SLE. Fourteen of the sixteen SLEs occurred significantly more frequently in those with MDD (median odds ratio of 1.6). The three SLEs most strongly associated with risk for MDD (OR>3.0) preceded the onset of MDD the majority of the time: rape (82%), physical abuse (100%) and serious neglect (99%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results may apply to females only. SLEs were rated retrospectively and are subject to biases in recollection. We did not assess contextual information for each life event.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More severe SLEs are more strongly associated with MDD. These results support the involvement of psychosocial adversity in the etiology of MDD in China.
authors.affiliation: Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, No. 318 Chao Wang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310005, PR China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Yihan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Zhiyang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jianying
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Wenyuan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Zhoubing
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Danhong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Hongsu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Tian
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Jingxuan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Chengge
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Qihui
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shanming
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yunshu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Han
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rong
authors.forename: Zhaoyu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gan
authors.forename: Jianying
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiansheng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jiyang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yanping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Huan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Shoufu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Guixing
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ruiling
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qingrong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Shenxun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Yiping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Kenneth S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kendler
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Flint
authors.forename: Jingfang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003863:Depression; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014930:Women