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A longitudinal study of depression in an urban spanish pubertal population

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Abstract

Depression characteristics were investigated in 507 adolescents using a two-stage longitudinal study design. The three-year longitudinal study started when the girls and boys were 11 and 12 years, respectively. In the initial (screening) phase the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) was used to select subjects for phase-II of the study in which the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised (CDRS-R) interview was used. The caseness definition of Major Depression (MD) and Dysthymia (D) was based on the DSM-III-R criteria. Pubertal development was assessed by Tanner's staging. Estimated prevalence of Major Depression in the female sample for each increasing year of age was 2.2%, 2.7% and 4.1%. In the male sample the prevalence for the three years was 0.9%, 0.3% and 0.6%. There was no relation to age. The estimated mean prevalence of Dysthymia was 1.4% in girls and 0.8% in boys. No association between pubertal development and depression was found. Longitudinal data support the notion of chronic depression in early adolescence.

Résumé

Les caractéristiques de la dépression furent recherchées chez 507 adolescents en utilisant une étude longitudinale de la dépression parmi une population espagnole urbaine pubertaire.

Les caractéristiques de la dépression furent recherchées chez 507 adolescents en utilisant une étude longitudinale en deux temps. L'étude longitudinale de trois ans a démarré quand les gar¢ons et les filles avaient entre 11 et 12 ans respectivement. Dans la phase initiale d'investigation la Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) fut utilisée pour sélectionner les sujets pour la phase II des études dans laquelle la Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised (CDRS-R) interview fut utilisée. Les définitions de la dépression majeure (MD) et de la dysthymie (D) furent fondées sur les critères du DSMIII-R. Le développement pubertaire fut évalué par les stades de Tanner. La prévalence estimée de la dépression majeure dans l'échantillon de filles pour chaque année croissante d'âge fut de 2.2%, 2.7% et 4.1%. Dans l'échantillon masculin la prévalence pour les trois années fut 0.9%, 0.3%, 0.6%. Il n'y avait pas de relation avec l'âge. La prévalence moyenne estimée de dysthymie fut de 1.4% chez les filles et de 0.8% chez les gar¢ons. Il fut trouvé aucune association entre le développement pubertaire et la dépression. Les faits longitudinaux confirment la notion de dépression chronique dans l'adolescence précoce.

Zusammenfassung

Charakteristische Merkmale für eine Depression wurden bei 507 Jugendlichen unter Anwendung eines zweistufigen Längsschnitt-Studiendesigns untersucht. Die dreijährige Longitudinalstudie begann, als die Mädchen und Jungen 11 bzw. 12 Jahre alt waren. In der Anfangs-(Screenings-)Phase wurde das Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) zur Selektion der Probanden für die Phase II der Studie benutzt. Für die zweite Phase wurde die Children's Depression Rating Scale Revised (CDRS-R)-Interview herangezogen. Die Falldefinition im Hinblick auf Major Depression (MD) und Dysthymia (D) basierte auf den DSM-III-R-Kriterien. Die Pubertätsentwicklung wurde nach Tanner erhoben. Die geschätzte Prävalenz für Major Depression in der weiblichen Stichprobe betrug in den drei Folgejahren 2.2%, 2.7% und 4.1%. In der männlichen Stichprobe betrugen die Prävalenzraten für die drei Jahre 0.9%, 0.3% und 0.6%. Es gab keinen Zusammenhang mit dem Alter. Die geschätzte durchschnittliche Prävalenz für Dysthymie betrug 1.4% bei Mädchen und 0.8% bei Jungen. Es wurde keine Assoziation zwischen Pubertätsentwicklung und Depression gefunden. Longitudinaldaten unterstützen die Vorstellung einer chronischen Depression in der frühen Adoleszenz.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departement de Psicologia, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Carretera de Valls, s/n, E43007, Tarragona, Spain

    Josepa Canals

  2. Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia (Unitat Pediatria), Spain

    Carles Marti-Henneberg

  3. Departament de Ciencies Mèdiques Bàsiques (Unitat Medicina Preventiva), Universität Rovira i Virgili, Spain

    Joan Fernández-Ballart

  4. Departament de Psicologia de la Salut, Universität Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain

    Edelmira Domènech

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  1. Josepa Canals
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  2. Carles Marti-Henneberg
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  3. Joan Fernández-Ballart
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  4. Edelmira Domènech
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Canals, J., Marti-Henneberg, C., Fernández-Ballart, J. et al. A longitudinal study of depression in an urban spanish pubertal population. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 4, 102–111 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01977738

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