title: Demographic and clinical differences between early- and late-onset major depressions in thirteen psychiatric institutions in China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about the demographic and clinical differences between early- and late-onset depressions (EOD and LOD, respectively) in Chinese patients. This study examined the demographic and clinical profile of EOD (<=25 years) compared to LOD (>25 years) in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  A consecutively recruited sample of 1178 patients with MDD was assessed in 13 psychiatric hospitals or psychiatric units of general hospitals in China nationwide. The cross-sectional data of patients' demographic and clinical characteristics and prescriptions of psychotropic drugs including antidepressants, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics and benzodiazepines were recorded using a standardized protocol and data collection procedure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred and seventy five (23.3%) of the 1178 patients fulfilled criteria for EOD. In multiple logistic regression analyses, compared to LOD patients their EOD counterparts were more likely to be unmarried and unemployed, had more atypical and psychotic depressive episodes, had bipolar features, while they had more lifetime depressive episodes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The demographic and more severe clinical features of EOD in Chinese patients were basically consistent with those found in Western populations. The association between socio-cultural factors and development of EOD warrants further studies.
authors.affiliation: Mood Disorders Center, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Mood Disorders Center, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Geng
authors.affiliation: Mood Disorders Center, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Mood Disorders Center, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. Electronic address: gangwangdoc@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: University of Notre Dame Australia/Marian Centre, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Gabor S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Ungvari
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Helen F K
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.affiliation: Veterans Administration Ann Arbor Center for Clinical Management Research, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Amy M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kilbourne
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Kelly Y C
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Mental Health & Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Tian-Mei
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Si
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Qi-Wen
authors.initials: QW
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Division of Mood Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yi-Ru
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Tongji Hospital, Tongji University Medical School, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Division of Mood Disorders, Shenzhen Mental Health Centre, Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China.
authors.forename: Hai-Chen
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: The First Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang province, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Hangzhou Seventh People׳s Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Yu
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan province, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: The Affiliated Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan province, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Ping
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: The Second Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China.
authors.forename: Hui-Chun
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China.
authors.forename: Jin-Bei
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China. Electronic address: xyutly@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Yu-Tao
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Xiang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D044466:Asian People; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents
keywords: Early onset; Major depressive disorder; Prescription patterns