title: Recent life events pose greatest risk for onset of major depressive disorder during mid-life.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The authors examined an additive model for the association of life events and age with onset of major depressive disorder (MDD) and whether the combination of life events and age posed greater risk than the sum of their independent effects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were used from a prospective cohort study of 10,045 general practice attendees (PredictD). We included those without MDD at baseline (N=8293). We examined age divided into tertiles and into 10 year groups. Life events were assessed at baseline using the List of Threatening Life Experiences Questionnaire and categorized according to type. Main outcome measure was onset of DSM-IV MDD at 6 or 12 months of follow-up. The authors calculated Relative Excess Risks due to Interaction (RERI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  6910 persons (83.3%) had a complete follow-up, of whom 589 (8.5%) had an onset of MDD (166 younger, 254 middle aged and 169 older). The combined effect of personal problems (RERI=1.30; 95% CI 0.29 to 2.32), events in family or friends (RERI=1.23; 95% CI 0.28 to 2.19), or problems with law (RERI=1.57; 95% CI 0.33 to 2.82) and middle age was larger than the sum of individual effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lower response to recruitment in the UK and the Netherlands.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recent life events carry the largest risk of onset of MDD in mid-life. Understanding the different vulnerability to life events according to age may help to indicate groups at a particular risk and assist in preventive strategies.
authors: Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors: Bauke T
authors: BT
authors: Stegenga
authors: Irwin
authors: I
authors: Nazareth
authors: Diederick E
authors: DE
authors: Grobbee
authors: Francisco
authors: F
authors: Torres-González
authors: Igor
authors: I
authors: Svab
authors: Heidi-Ingrid
authors: HI
authors: Maaroos
authors: Miguel
authors: M
authors: Xavier
authors: Sandra
authors: S
authors: Saldivia
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Bottomley
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: King
authors: Mirjam I
authors: MI
authors: Geerlings
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult