title: Differences between early and late onset adult depression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is unclear, whether age-of-onset identifies subgroups of depression.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the clinical presentation of depression with onset in the early adult age (18-30 years) as compared to depression with later onset (31-70 years).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total number of 301 patients with first episode depression were systematically recruited. Characteristics including psychiatric co-morbidity, personality disorders and traits, stressful life events prior to onset, family history, and treatment outcome were assessed by structured interviews and compared by chi-square tests for categorical data, t-tests for continuous parametric data and Mann-Whitney U-test for continuous nonparametric data. Logistic and multiple regression analyses were used to adjust the analyses for potentially confounding variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with early onset of depression were characterised by a higher prevalence of co-morbid personality disorders, higher levels of neuroticism, and a lower prevalence of stressful life events preceding onset compared to patients with later age-of-onset. There were no differences in severity of the depressive episode, treatment outcome or family loading of psychiatric illness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early adult onset of depression is associated with co-morbid personality deviances, whereas late onset is associated with environmental risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Center Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jens Drachmann
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Bukh
authors.forename: Camilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bock
authors.forename: Maj
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vinberg
authors.forename: Ulrik
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gether
authors.forename: Lars Vedel
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Kessing