Is the lifetime risk of depression actually increasing?

doi:10.1016/0895-4356(95)00010-2

Journal of Clinical Epidemiology

Volume 48, Issue 9, September 1995, Pages 1109-1118

https://doi.org/10.1016/0895-4356(95)00010-2 Get rights and content

Abstract

Data from an international study of psychological problems in primary care were examined for evidence of increasing depression risk. At 15 sites, patients aged 15–65 (n = 26,421) were screened with the GHQ-12 and a stratified random sample (n = 5603) selected for psychiatric assessment (Composite International Diagnostic Interview). Initial analyses agreed with earlier cross-sectional studies, finding higher depression risk and earlier onset in recent birth cohorts. Additional analyses suggested that methods effects may explain these findings. First, apparent prevalence increases were nonspecific with similar trends seen across all study sites and for all disorders examined. Second, reporting patterns suggested significant under-counting of past depressive episodes. Respondents of all ages typically reported first onset of depression during the last 5 years. Reported lifetime prevalence was only 2.02 times current prevalence. These findings suggest that depression risk is not rapidly increasing and that true lifetime prevalence is much higher than estimated by cross-sectional surveys.

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Original articleIs the lifetime risk of depression actually increasing?

Abstract

J Clin Epidemiol

J Affective Disord

Psychiat Res

J Psychiat Res

Changes in frequency of mental disorders over time

Acta Psychiat Scand

Birth-cohort trends in rates of major depressive disorder among relatives of patients with affective disorder

Arch Gen Psychiatry

Family violence and psychiatric disorder

Can J Psychiatry

Contribution of epidemiological data to the classification of anxiety disorders

The changing rate of major depression

JAMA

Reevaluation of secular trends in depression rates

Am J Epidemiol

Stability of prevalence: depression and anxiety disorders

Arch Gen Psychiatry

Are we entering an age of melancholy? Depressive illness in a prospective epidemiological study over 25 years: the Lundby Study, Sweden

Psychol Med

Changing lives and well-being: the Midtown Manhattan Panel Study, 1954–1976

Acta Psychiat Scand

Changes in prevalence of depressive symptoms in Alameda County

J Aging Health

Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of DSM-IIIR psychiatric disorders in the United States

Arch Gen Psychiatry

An international study of psychological problems in primary care

Arch Gen Psychiatry

Original article
Is the lifetime risk of depression actually increasing?