Age of Onset and Familial Risk in Major Depression

2000 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
pp. 513-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. M. Weissman
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Eleonore D. van Sprang ◽  
Dominique F. Maciejewski ◽  
Yuri Milaneschi ◽  
Bernet M. Elzinga ◽  
Aartjan T. F. Beekman ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In research and clinical practice, familial risk for depression and anxiety is often constructed as a simple Yes/No dichotomous family history (FH) indicator. However, this measure may not fully capture the liability to these conditions. This study investigated whether a continuous familial loading score (FLS), incorporating family- and disorder-specific characteristics (e.g. family size, prevalence of depression/anxiety), (i) is associated with a polygenic risk score (PRS) for major depression and with clinical/psychosocial vulnerabilities and (ii) still captures variation in clinical/psychosocial vulnerabilities after information on FH has been taken into account. Methods Data came from 1425 participants with lifetime depression and/or anxiety from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety. The Family Tree Inventory was used to determine FLS/FH indicators for depression and/or anxiety. Results Persons with higher FLS had higher PRS for major depression, more severe depression and anxiety symptoms, higher disease burden, younger age of onset, and more neuroticism, rumination, and childhood trauma. Among these variables, FH was not associated with PRS, severity of symptoms, and neuroticism. After regression out the effect of FH from the FLS, the resulting residualized measure of FLS was still associated with severity of symptoms of depression and anxiety, rumination, and childhood trauma. Conclusions Familial risk for depression and anxiety deserves clinical attention due to its associated genetic vulnerability and more unfavorable disease profile, and seems to be better captured by a continuous score that incorporates family- and disorder-specific characteristics than by a dichotomous FH measure.


1998 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 857-870 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. L. FOLEY ◽  
M. C. NEALE ◽  
K. S. KENDLER

Background. In unselected samples, the diagnosis of major depression (MD) is not highly reliable. It is not known if occasion-specific influences on reliability index familial risk factors for MD, or how reliability is associated with risk for co-morbid anxiety disorders.Methods. An unselected sample of 847 female twin pairs was interviewed twice, 5 years apart, about their lifetime history (LTH) of MD, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and panic disorder (PD). Familial influences on reliability were examined using structural equation models. Logistic regression was used to identify clinical features that predict reliable diagnosis. Co-morbidity was characterized using the continuation ratio test.Results. The reliability of a LTH of MD over 5 years was fair (κ=0·43). There was no evidence for occasion-specific familial influences on reliability, and heritability of reliably diagnosed MD was estimated at 66%. Subjects with unreliably diagnosed MD reported fewer symptoms and, if diagnosed with MD only at the first interview, less impairment and help seeking, or, if diagnosed with MD only at the second interview, fewer episodes and a longer illness. A history of co-morbid GAD or PD is more prevalent among subjects with reliably diagnosed MD.Conclusions. A diagnosis of MD based on a single psychiatric interview incorporates a substantial amount of measurement error but there is no evidence that transient influences on recall and diagnosis index familial risk for MD. Quantitative indices of risk for MD based on multiple interviews should reflect both the characteristics of MD and the temporal order of positive diagnoses.


CNS Spectrums ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 57-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
David L. Pauls

ABSTRACTTwin and family studies of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have gleaned important data regarding the influence of genetic factors in the development of this disorder. These studies have shown that understanding the importance of genetic factors in OCD is largely dependent upon how the phenotype is classified. The last decade of research has found that substantial variability of symptomatology exists across individuals diagnosed with OCD. Considering this, a number of analyses have been conducted to determine if possible subtypes of OCD exist, including analysis of age of onset, cluster analysis, factor analysis, and segregation analysis. These methodologies, and possibly others, could aid in identifying the genes involved in the development of OCD.


2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 1623-1623
Author(s):  
G. Konstantakopoulos ◽  
A. Soumani ◽  
P. Oulis ◽  
V. Masdrakis ◽  
D. Damigos ◽  
...  

ObjectivesPrevious studies have provided evidence on the possible relationship between mental pain (psychache) and suicide. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether more intense psychache is related with higher suicide risk independently of the severity of depression.MethodsOrbach's Mental Pain Scale was administered in 58 women with major depression: 24 inpatients and 34 outpatients. Severity of depressive symptoms was evaluated by the Beck Depression Inventory. Suicide Risk Scale was used for the assessment of suicide risk. Level of physical pain was measured by McGill Pain Questionnaire-Short form. Pearson's correlation was used to examine the relationship between variables and a multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the independent strength of the associations.ResultsSuicide risk was significantly and positively associated with the level of current psychache and the severity of depressive symptoms, and negatively with the age of onset of the illness. The levels of physical pain or worst-ever psychache were also correlated with suicide risk; however, these associations did not remain significant in the multiple regression models.ConclusionsHigher levels of mental pain may be a factor of vulnerability to suicidal behaviour in major depression. Higher symptom severity and earlier onset of the illness may also contribute to suicide risk. The association between physical pain and suicide risk appears to be mediated by mental pain or other aspects of the illness.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susana Ochoa ◽  
Judith Usall ◽  
Jesús Cobo ◽  
Xavier Labad ◽  
Jayashri Kulkarni

Recent studies have begun to look at gender differences in schizophrenia and first-episode psychosis in an attempt to explain the heterogeneity of the illness. However, a number of uncertainties remain. This paper tries to summarize the most important findings in gender differences in schizophrenia and first-psychosis episodes. Several studies indicate that the incidence of schizophrenia is higher in men. Most of the studies found the age of onset to be earlier in men than in women. Findings on symptoms are less conclusive, with some authors suggesting that men suffer more negative symptoms while women have more affective symptoms. Premorbid functioning and social functioning seem to be better in females than males. However, cognitive functioning remains an issue, with lack of consensus on differences in neuropsychological profile between women and men. Substance abuse is more common in men than women with schizophrenia and first-episode psychosis. In terms of the disease course, women have better remission and lower relapse rates. Lastly, there is no evidence of specific gender differences in familial risk and obstetric complications. Overall, gender differences have been found in a number of variables, and further study in this area could help provide useful information with a view to improving our care of these patients.


2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (11) ◽  
pp. 2385-2396 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Roberts ◽  
W. Wen ◽  
A. Frankland ◽  
T. Perich ◽  
E. Holmes-Preston ◽  
...  

BackgroundWhite matter (WM) impairments have been reported in patients with bipolar disorder (BD) and those at high familial risk of developing BD. However, the distribution of these impairments has not been well characterized. Few studies have examined WM integrity in young people early in the course of illness and in individuals at familial risk who have not yet passed the peak age of onset.MethodWM integrity was examined in 63 BD subjects, 150 high-risk (HR) individuals and 111 participants with no family history of mental illness (CON). All subjects were aged 12 to 30 years.ResultsThis young BD group had significantly lower fractional anisotropy within the genu of the corpus callosum (CC) compared with the CON and HR groups. Moreover, the abnormality in the genu of the CC was also present in HR participants with recurrent major depressive disorder (MDD) (n = 16) compared with CON participants.ConclusionsOur findings provide important validation of interhemispheric abnormalities in BD patients. The novel finding in HR subjects with recurrent MDD – a group at particular risk of future hypo/manic episodes – suggests that this may potentially represent a trait marker for BD, though this will need to be confirmed in longitudinal follow-up studies.


2009 ◽  
Vol 106 (15) ◽  
pp. 6273-6278 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. S. Peterson ◽  
V. Warner ◽  
R. Bansal ◽  
H. Zhu ◽  
X. Hao ◽  
...  

1998 ◽  
Vol 173 (S34) ◽  
pp. 24-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Regier ◽  
D. S. Rae ◽  
W. E. Narrow ◽  
C. T. Kaelber ◽  
A. F. Schatzberg

Background The co-occurrence of anxiety disorders with other mental, addictive, and physical disorders has important implications for treatment and for prediction of clinical course and associated morbidity.Method Cross-sectional and prospective data on 20 291 individuals from the Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) study were analysed to determine one-month, current disorders, one-year incidence, and one-year and lifetime prevalence of anxiety, mood, and addictive disorders, and to identify the onset and offset of disorders within the one-year prospective period.Results Nearly half (47.2%) of those meeting lifetime criteria for major depression also have met criteria for a comorbid anxiety disorder. The average age of onset of any lifetime anxiety disorder (16.4 years) and social phobia (11.6 years) among those with major depression was much younger than the onset age for major depression (23.2 years) and panic disorder.Conclusions Anxiety disorders, especially social and simple phobias, appear to have an early onset in adolescence with potentially severe consequences, predisposing those affected to greater vulnerability to major depression and addictive disorders.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document