Age at first onset for nonbipolar depression.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe the onset age distribution for first episodes of unipolar depression for men and women. From a total of 6,742 participants ranging in age from 18 to 88 years, 2,046 were selected for a diagnostic interview on the basis of elevated scores on a self-report depression inventory and were diagnosed as per the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia and Research Diagnostic Criteria procedures. Of those interviewed, 1,012 were diagnosed as having suffered from a previous episode of depression. The Life Table method was used to describe the risks associated with different ages for developing an initial episode of depression. The results indicate that the hazard rates are very low through age 14 years, increase during adolescence (15-19 years) and young adulthood (20-24 years), peak between 45 and 55 years, and then decrease with increasing age, becoming zero at 80 years or older. The hazard rates for men and women differed, with women between the ages of 9 and 69 years having higher hazard rates than men between the same ages. The average age at onset for first episodes of depression for men and women did not differ.The age at which disorders have their initial onset is important epidemiological information. The potential importance of age at onset is recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III; American Psychiatric Association, 1980), which devotes a section to this aspect for each disorder even though in most instances relatively few empirical data are available for estimating the age of first onset distributions for the various disorders.Many theoretical and practical issues can be addressed if the age at onset distribution for a disorder is known. Such knowledge would have important public policy and planning implications for directing services toward the vulnerable age groups. In addition, there is evidence that the age at first onset for a disorder can have etiological implications. For example, with affective disorders there appears to be a stronger genetic component in those individuals who develop the disorder earlier in life relative to those who develop the disorder later in life (Gershon,

The Ruminative Response Style in Adolescents: An Examination of Its Specific Link to Symptoms of Depression

“…Epidemiological studies have reported prevalence rates of depression in adolescents ranging between .4% and 8.3% (e.g., Fleming & Offord, 1990;Lewinsohn, Hops, Roberts, Seeley, & Andrews, 1993). Furthermore, the lifetime prevalence of depression in adolescents varies between 15% and 20%, which is comparable with the lifetime rate in adults, suggesting that depression frequently has its onset in adolescence (e.g., Lewinsohn, Duncan, Stanton, & Hautziner, 1986).…”

Dimensions of perfectionism and suicide ideation

“…Second, a focus on college students is consistent with the results of epidemiological surveys of suicide and depression. A series of recent studies has pointed to the periods of adolescence and young adulthood as important times for the development of depression and related features such as suicide (Burke, Burke, Regier, & Rae, 1990;Lewinsohn, Duncan, Stanton, & Hautzinger, 1986;Sorenson, Rutter, & Aneshensel, 1991). First-year college students generally fall into one of the age groups for whom suicide rates have been increasing at an alarming rate (Berman & Jobes, 1991;Llopis, Beneyto, & Asencio, 1988).…”

Prevalence and correlates of mental disorders among adolescents in Italy: the PrISMA study

“…The importance of early detection of mental disorders in preadolescence and adolescence is widely acknowledged, because these years are critical for the onset and development of later disturbances [8,10,32,34]. Therefore, accurate estimates of the prevalence of psychopathology for these age groups are essential for setting up adequate services, with the aim of diminishing the consequences of mental disorders on later development and functioning in adulthood.…”