Lifetime History Of Depression Research Articles

Premorbid temperament as a predictor for remission in depression

IntroductionPersonality traits have been associated with risk for depressive disorders. Studies with premorbid measures on personality are uncommon.ObjectiveEstimate effect of premorbid personality as a predictor for remission in depressive disorders.AimTo study premorbid personality as a predictor for remission in depression in a population based sample.MethodsThe sample is based on the large Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966. Temperament traits were measured at age 31 years using the Temperament and Character Inventory. At the age of 46 years depressive symptoms were measured using the Beck Depression Inventory – II (BDI). The sample included those with self-reported life-time depression history at age 46 years but not yet at age 31 years (n = 298). Temperament at age 31 years was used to predict remission (BDI≤13) at age 46 years using logistic regression analysis, with gender and educational level as confounders. Cohen's d was used as effect size measure.ResultsTwo hundred and one (67.4%) of individuals with self-reported depression were on remission at the follow-up. Low harm avoidance (total scale, and subscales anticipatory worry, shyness, and fatigability), low impulsiveness and high exploratory excitability (subscales of novelty seeking), and low sentimentality (subscale of reward dependence) predicted significantly remission with effect sizes between 0.28 and 0.45, highest effect being in harm avoidance.ConclusionsDifferent temperament traits were able to predict remission status in depression. Effect sizes were between small and moderate. Temperament may associate with treatment response in depression.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Lower Serum Zinc and Higher CRP Strongly Predict Prenatal Depression and Physio-somatic Symptoms, Which All Together Predict Postnatal Depressive Symptoms.

Pregnancy and delivery are associated with activation of immune-inflammatory pathways which may prime parturients to develop postnatal depression. There are, however, few data on the associations between immune-inflammatory pathways and prenatal depression and physio-somatic symptoms. This study examined the associations between serum zinc, C-reactive protein (CRP), and haptoglobin at the end of term and prenatal physio-somatic symptoms (fatigue, back pain, muscle pain, dyspepsia, obstipation) and prenatal and postnatal depressive and anxiety symptoms as measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), and Spielberger's State Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Zinc and haptoglobin were significantly lower and CRP increased at the end of term as compared with non-pregnant women. Prenatal depression was predicted by lower zinc and lifetime history of depression, anxiety, and premenstrual tension syndrome (PMS). The latter histories were also significantly and inversely related to lower zinc. The severity of prenatal EDPS, HAMD, BDI, STAI, and physio-somatic symptoms was predicted by fatigue in the first and second trimesters, a positive life history of depression, anxiety, and PMS, and lower zinc and higher CRP. Postnatal depressive symptoms are predicted by prenatal depression, physio-somatic symptoms, zinc and CRP. Prenatal depressive and physio-somatic symptoms have an immune-inflammatory pathophysiology, while postnatal depressive symptoms are highly predicted by prenatal immune activation, prenatal depression, and a lifetime history of depression and PMS. Previous episodes of depression, anxiety disorders, and PMS may prime pregnant females to develop prenatal and postnatal depressive symptoms via activated immune pathways.

Altered Intrinsic Functional Brain Architecture in Children at Familial Risk of Major Depression

BackgroundNeuroimaging studies of patients with major depression have revealed abnormal intrinsic functional connectivity measured during the resting state in multiple distributed networks. However, it is unclear whether these findings reflect the state of major depression or reflect trait neurobiological underpinnings of risk for major depression. MethodsWe compared resting-state functional connectivity, measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging, between unaffected children of parents who had documented histories of major depression (at-risk, n = 27; 8–14 years of age) and age-matched children of parents with no lifetime history of depression (control subjects, n = 16). ResultsAt-risk children exhibited hyperconnectivity between the default mode network and subgenual anterior cingulate cortex/orbital frontal cortex, and the magnitude of connectivity positively correlated with individual symptom scores. At-risk children also exhibited 1) hypoconnectivity within the cognitive control network, which also lacked the typical anticorrelation with the default mode network; 2) hypoconnectivity between left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and subgenual anterior cingulate cortex; and 3) hyperconnectivity between the right amygdala and right inferior frontal gyrus, a key region for top-down modulation of emotion. Classification between at-risk children and control subjects based on resting-state connectivity yielded high accuracy with high sensitivity and specificity that was superior to clinical rating scales. ConclusionsChildren at familial risk for depression exhibited atypical functional connectivity in the default mode, cognitive control, and affective networks. Such task-independent functional brain measures of risk for depression in children could be used to promote early intervention to reduce the likelihood of developing depression.

Depression as a risk factor for fracture in women: A 10 year longitudinal study

BackgroundPrevious research has demonstrated deficits in bone mineral density (BMD) among individuals with depression. While reduced BMD is a known risk for fracture, a direct link between depression and fracture risk is yet to be confirmed. MethodsA population-based sample of women participating in the Geelong Osteoporosis Study was studied using both nested case-control and retrospective cohort study designs. A lifetime history of depression was identified using a semi-structured clinical interview (SCID-I/NP). Incident fractures were identified from radiological reports and BMD was measured at the femoral neck using dual energy absorptiometry. Anthropometry was measured and information on medication use and lifestyle factors was obtained via questionnaire. ResultsAmong 179 cases with incident fracture and 914 controls, depression was associated with increased odds of fracture (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.57, 95%CI 1.04–2.38); further adjustment for psychotropic medication use appeared to attenuate this association (adjusted OR 1.52, 95%CI 0.98–2.36). Among 165 women with a history of depression at baseline and 693 who had no history of depression, depression was associated with a 68% increased risk of incident fracture (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.68, 95%CI 1.02–2.76), with further adjustment for psychotropic medication use also appearing to attenuate this association (adjusted HR 1.58, 95%CI 0.95–2.61). LimitationsPotential limitations include recall bias, unrecognised confounding and generalizability. ConclusionsThis study provides both cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence to suggest that clinical depression is a risk factor for radiologically-confirmed incident fracture, independent of a number of known risk factors. If there is indeed a clinically meaningful co-morbidity between mental and bone health, potentially worsened by psychotropic medications, the issue of screening at-risk populations needs to become a priority.

Increased Default Mode Network Connectivity in Individuals at High Familial Risk for Depression.

Research into the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD) has focused largely on individuals already affected by MDD. Studies have thus been limited in their ability to disentangle effects that arise as a result of MDD from precursors of the disorder. By studying individuals at high familial risk for MDD, we aimed to identify potential biomarkers indexing risk for developing MDD, a critical step toward advancing prevention and early intervention. Using resting-state functional connectivity MRI (rs-fcMRI) and diffusion MRI (tractography), we examined connectivity within the default mode network (DMN) and between the DMN and the central executive network (CEN) in 111 individuals, aged 11-60 years, at high and low familial risk for depression. Study participants were part of a three-generation longitudinal, cohort study of familial depression. Based on rs-fcMRI, individuals at high vs low familial risk for depression showed increased DMN connectivity, as well as decreased DMN-CEN-negative connectivity. These findings remained significant after excluding individuals with a current or lifetime history of depression. Diffusion MRI measures based on tractography supported the findings of decreased DMN-CEN-negative connectivity. Path analyses indicated that decreased DMN-CEN-negative connectivity mediated a relationship between familial risk and a neuropsychological measure of impulsivity. Our findings suggest that DMN and DMN-CEN connectivity differ in those at high vs low risk for depression and thus suggest potential biomarkers for identifying individuals at risk for developing MDD.

Lifetime depression history and depression risk in type 2 diabetes: A case-control study

AimsTo assess whether a personal history of depression assists in risk prediction for depression in type 2 diabetes. MethodsAge- and sex-matched participants with and without diabetes from the Busselton Health Survey were assessed for current and previous depression using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire and the Brief Lifetime Depression Scale (BLDS). In the diabetic participants, the temporal relationship between first depression episode and diabetes onset was also explored. ResultsIn 184 paired participants (age 70.2±10.1years, 50% female), those with diabetes had a higher prevalence of any current depression (12.5% vs 4.3%, P<0.01) and lifetime history of major depression (30.6% vs 21.1%, P=0.06) compared to those without diabetes. After adjustment, lifetime major depression history was independently associated with any current depression in the combined sample (odds ratio (95% CI): 5.55 (3.09–9.98), P<0.001), in those with diabetes (4.17 (2.00–8.71), P<0.001), in those without diabetes (8.29 (3.24–21.23), P<0.001) and in diabetes whether sub-divided by depression first occurring before or after diabetes onset (before: 3.16 (1.38–7.24), P=0.007; after: 2.77 (1.00–7.70), P=0.051). ConclusionsObtaining a lifetime history of major depression using the BLDS assists in depression risk prediction in type 2 diabetes regardless of whether depression preceded diabetes onset or not.

History of Depression and Frontostriatal Connectivity During Reward Processing in Late Adolescent Boys

Given that depression in men is associated with risk for seriously adverse consequences, evaluating how putative neural mechanisms of depression—such as reward-related frontostriatal connectivity—may be altered in late adolescent boys with a history of depression is an important research aim. Adolescents and adults with depression have been demonstrated to show blunted striatal response and heightened medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) activation to winning reward. Function in reward circuits appears to be best understood as coordination of regions within frontostriatal circuitry, and alterations to this circuitry could occur in those with a history of depression. The current study evaluated functional connectivity between the nucleus accumbens and mPFC in a sample of 166 ethnically diverse boys with and without a history of depression. Participants completed an fMRI monetary reward paradigm at age 20. Lifetime history of depression and other psychiatric illnesses was measured prospectively and longitudinally, using structured clinical interviews at 7 time points from ages 8 to 20. Boys with a history of depression showed heightened positive connectivity between the nucleus accumbens and the mPFC relative to boys with no psychiatric history when winning rewards relative to losing rewards. This altered frontostriatal connectivity pattern was also associated with greater number of depressive episodes in the boys’ lifetime. History of depression in late adolescent boys may be associated with altered coordination between the nucleus accumbens and mPFC when winning reward. This coordination could reflect oversignaling of the mPFC to dampen typical ventral striatum response or enhance weak ventral striatum response.

Coming out in color: racial/ethnic differences in the relationship between level of sexual identity disclosure and depression among lesbians.

Disclosing one's sexual minority identity, or "coming out," has varying effects on the mental health of lesbians. Previous research indicates a negative association between disclosure and depression. However, these findings are based on research with White lesbians. To date, there is a paucity of studies that examined how the relationship between disclosure and depression may differ by race/ethnicity among lesbians. To address this gap, we examined the relationship between disclosure and depression among African American (26.5%), Latina (19.7%), and White (53.8%) self-identified lesbians (N = 351) in 2 survey-interviews (∼ 3-years apart). Over 50% of the participants reported a history of lifetime depression at baseline and 35.9% reported depression at Time 2 (T2). Disclosure levels varied: 78.9% had disclosed to their mother, 58.4% to their father, and 83.3% to a sibling. The mean level for disclosure to nonfamily individuals was 6.29 (SD 2.64; range 0-9). Disclosure results varied by race/ethnicity showing African American lesbians (vs. White lesbians) were less likely to disclose to nonfamily individuals when controlling for covariates. Results for the relationship between disclosure and depression showed disclosure to either parent or sibling was not associated with depression for the total sample. Among Latinas only, disclosure to nonfamily individuals was associated with less depression. Additional research is needed to explore racial/ethnic differences in disclosure with certain individuals and to better understand the relation between disclosure and depression. Findings have implications for reducing overall rates of depression among lesbians living with multiple-minority identities.

Depression and mild cognitive impairment in the general population: results of the Heinz Nixdorf recall study.

The literature suggests an association between depression and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia, but not all studies have examined this association with regard to MCI subtypes reflecting different dementia etiologies. To examine if there is a cross-sectional relationship of depression and MCI and to examine if the relationship differs depending on the type of depression (currently elevated depressive symptoms or a positive history of lifetime depression or both) and on the MCI subtype (amnestic versus non-amnestic MCI (aMCI/naMCI)). From the second examination of the population-based Heinz Nixdorf Recall study (50% men, 50-80 years), 583 participants with MCI (aMCI n = 304; naMCI n = 279) and 1,446 cognitively normal participants were included in the analyses. Currently elevated depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D; score ≥18). Furthermore, participants were asked if they have ever received a previous diagnosis of depression. Log-Poisson regression models (adjusted for sociodemographic/cardiovascular risk factors) were calculated to determine the association of MCI and its subtypes with all depression variables. The fully adjusted prevalence rate ratios for MCI, aMCI, and naMCI in depressed versus non-depressed participants were 2.06 (95% confidence interval, 1.60-2.64), 3.06 (2.21-4.23), and 1.93 (1.46-2.57). A positive history of lifetime depression without current depressive symptoms was solely associated with naMCI (1.31 (0.99-1.73)). These results suggest that the relationship of depression/depressive symptoms and MCI might differ depending on the timing of depression and on the MCI subtype. Our longitudinal follow-up will allow us to further elucidate this relationship.

Lifetime History of Depression Predicts Increased Beta-Amyloid Accumulation in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment

Current evidence supports the hypothesis that the cortical Aβ burden may be higher in MCI patients with a lifetime history of depression (LMD) in comparison to MCI patients without an LMD. However, to date, no previous PET study has directly tested this hypothesis. Therefore, we compared the AV-45 standardized uptake value ratios (SUVR) between amnestic MCI patients with an LMD (aMCI+LMD) and amnestic MCI patients without an LMD (aMCI-LMD) in order to examine whether aMCI patients with an LMD show a higher Aβ deposition than those without an LMD, using data from Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) databases.

Influence of maternal depression on children's brooding rumination: Moderation by CRHR1 TAT haplotype

There is growing evidence that brooding rumination plays a key role in the intergenerational transmission of major depressive disorder (MDD) and may be an endophenotype for depression risk. However, less is known about the mechanisms underlying this role. Therefore, the goal of the current study was to examine levels of brooding in children of mothers with a history of MDD (n = 129) compared to children of never depressed mothers (n = 126) and to determine whether the variation in a gene known to influence hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning—corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1 (CRHR1) —would moderate the link between maternal MDD and children's levels of brooding. We predicted children of mothers with a history of MDD would exhibit higher levels of brooding than children of mothers with no lifetime depression history but that this link would be stronger among children carrying no copies of the protective CRHR1 TAT haplotype. Our results supported these hypotheses and suggest that the development of brooding among children of depressed mothers, particularly children without the protective CRHR1 haplotype, may serve as an important mechanism of risk for the intergenerational transmission of depression.

Operating characteristics of depression and anxiety disorder phenotype dimensions and trait neuroticism: A theoretical examination of the fear and distress disorders from the Netherlands study of depression and anxiety

BackgroundThe receiver operating characteristics (ROC) of anhedonic depression and anxious arousal to detect the distress- (major depression, dysthymia, generalized anxiety disorder) and fear-disorder clusters (i.e. panic disorder, agoraphobia, social phobia) have not been reported in a large sample. MethodsA sample of 2981 persons underwent structured psychiatric interview; n=652 were without lifetime depression and anxiety disorder history. Participants also completed a neuroticism scale (Revised NEO Five Factor Inventory [NEO-FFI]), and the 30-item short adaptation of the Mood and Anxiety Symptoms Questionnaire (MASQ-D30) measuring anhedonic depression, anxious arousal and general distress. Maximal sensitivity and specificity was determined by the Youden Index and the area-under-the-curve (AUC) in ROC analysis. ResultsA total of 2624 completed all measures (age M=42.4 years±13.1, 1760 females [67.1%]), including 1060 (40.4%) persons who met criteria for a distress-disorder, and 973 (37.1%) who met criteria for a fear-disorder. The general distress dimension provided the highest ROC values in the detection of the distress-disorders (AUC=.814, sensitivity=71.95%, specificity=76.34%, positive predictive value=67.33, negative predictive value=80.07). None of the measures provided suitable operating characteristics in the detection of the fear-disorders with specificity values <75%. LimitationsOver sampling of depression and anxiety disorders may lead to inflated positive- and negative predictive values. ConclusionsThe MASQ-D30 general distress dimension showed clinically suitable operating characteristics in the detection of distress-disorders. Neither neuroticism nor the MASQ-D30 dimensions provided suitable operating characteristics in the detection of the fear-disorders.

Is burnout separable from depression in cluster analysis? A longitudinal study.

Whether burnout and depression represent distinct pathologies is unclear. The aim of this study was to examine whether burnout and depressive symptoms manifest themselves separately from each other or are so closely intertwined as to reflect the same phenomenon. A two-wave longitudinal study involving 627 French schoolteachers (73 % female) was conducted. Burnout was assessed with the Maslach Burnout Inventory and depression with the 9-item depression module of the Patient Health Questionnaire. Burnout and depressive symptoms clustered both at baseline and follow-up. Cluster membership at time 1 (T1) predicted cases of burnout and depression at time 2 (T2), controlling for gender, age, length of employment, lifetime history of depression, and antidepressant intake. Changes in burnout and depressive symptoms from T1 to T2 were found to overlap. Teachers with increasing burnout experienced increases in depression and teachers with decreasing burnout experienced decreases in depression. In addition, emotional exhaustion, the core of burnout, was more strongly associated with depression than with depersonalization, the second dimension of burnout, underlining an inconsistency in the conceptualization of the burnout syndrome. Our results are consistent with recent findings showing qualitative and quantitative symptom overlap of burnout with depression. The close interconnection of burnout and depression questions the relevance of a nosological distinction between the two entities. Emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, the two main dimensions of burnout, may be better conceptualized as depressive responses to adverse occupational environments than as components of a separate entity.

Maternal Depression History Moderates Parenting Responses to Compliant and Noncompliant Behaviors of Children with ADHD.

Maternal depression and parenting are robust predictors of developmental outcomes for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, methods commonly used to examine parent-child interactions in these families do not account for temporal associations between child and parent behavior that have been theorized to maintain negative child behavior. Moreover, studies examining associations between maternal depression and parenting in families of children with ADHD have not compared mothers who were currently depressed, remitted, and never clinically depressed. This study utilized sequential analysis to examine how maternal reinforcement of compliant and noncompliant child behavior differs as a function of maternal depression history. Within the 82 participating mother-child dyads, 21 mothers were currently depressed, 29 mothers had a lifetime history of depression but were in remission for at least 1month, and 32 mothers had never been clinically depressed. 24 girls (29.6%) and 57 boys (70.4%) between the ages of 6-12years old (M = 8.7, SD = 2.0) and were diagnosed with ADHD. Results indicated that all mothers were less likely to respond optimally than non-optimally to child compliant and noncompliant behaviors during observed parent-child interactions; however, currently depressed mothers were least likely to reinforce child compliance and responded most coercively to child noncompliance relative to the other groups. Remitted mothers in this sample were more coercive than never clinically depressed mothers, but were more likely to follow through with commands than never clinically depressed mothers. Implications for behavioral parent training programs aimed at skill development for depressed mothers of children with ADHD are discussed.

Fearfulness moderates the link between childhood social withdrawal and adolescent reward response.

Withdrawal from peers during childhood may reflect disruptions in reward functioning that heighten vulnerability to affective disorders during adolescence. The association between socially withdrawn behavior and reward functioning may depend on traits that influence this withdrawal, such as fearfulness or unsociability. In a study of 129 boys, we evaluated how boys' fearfulness and sociability at age 5 and social withdrawal at school at ages 6 to 10 and during a summer camp at age 9/10 were associated with their neural response to reward at age 20. Greater social withdrawal during childhood was associated with heightened striatal and mPFC activation when anticipating rewards at age 20. Fearfulness moderated this effect to indicate that social withdrawal was associated with heightened reward-related response in the striatum for boys high on fearfulness. Altered striatal response associated with social withdrawal and fearfulness predicted greater likelihood to have a lifetime history of depression and social phobia at age 20. These findings add greater specificity to previous findings that children high in traits related to fear of novelty show altered reward responses, by identifying fearfulness (but not low levels of sociability) as a potential underlying mechanism that contributes to reward alterations in withdrawn children.

Persistence of depression in African American and Caucasian women at midlife: findings from the Study of Women Across the Nation (SWAN).

This study prospectively examined the course of depression in African American and Caucasian midlife women over an 11-year period. Racial differences in lifetime history of depression, severity of depressive symptoms and rates of depressive disorders at baseline, and persistence or recurrence of depression over an 11year period were examined. Predictors of persistence/recurrence of depression were also examined. The sample was comprised of 423 midlife women enrolled in the Study of Women Across the Nation (SWAN) Mental Health Study (MHS). All participants completed baseline and annual assessments, which included self-reported measures of health, functioning, and psychosocial factors, and clinician administered assessments of psychiatric disorders. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine predictors of depression persistence/recurrence. Findings indicated that African American and Caucasian women did not differ significantly in rates of lifetime and baseline depressive disorders, or severity of depressive symptoms. Annual assessments revealed no significant differences between the groups in rates of persistent/recurrent depression. While African American and Caucasian women do not differ in recurrence of depression at midlife, factors associated with depression differed by race.

Nonsuicidal self-injury in adolescence: longitudinal course, trajectories, and intrapersonal predictors.

Although prevalence rates of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) has been established throughout adolescence, little is known about the progression of NSSI, and consequently, about the risk factors for youth NSSI engagement. This study aimed to describe the overall longitudinal course of NSSI and the latent trajectory classes of NSSI in a population-based sample of adolescents using multi-wave data. Moreover, this study examined whether sex, lifetime history of depression, rumination, and negative attributional style predicted the longitudinal course of NSSI and trajectory group membership. Participants were 617 Chinese adolescents in Grades 10 through 12 (51.4 % girls). NSSI was assessed across eight waves of data. History of depression, rumination, and negative attributional style were assessed at baseline. Latent growth curve modeling revealed that only lifetime depression predicted the longitudinal course of NSSI from Grades 10 to 12, with depressed adolescents showing greater and more stable NSSI engagement over time than non-depressed adolescents. Group-based trajectory modeling yielded three distinct trajectory classes of NSSI engagement: low (69.2 %), moderate (26.1 %), and chronic (4.7 %). Negative attributional style distinguished adolescents in the chronic vs. low and moderate NSSI trajectory classes. Sex, rumination, and lifetime depression predicted membership in the chronic and/or moderate vs. low NSSI trajectory class. NSSI trajectory classes, based on frequency of NSSI, exist and are differentiated by sex, depression history, rumination, and negative attributional style. This study suggests that during this period of adolescence NSSI may be a relatively stable behavior, especially for some adolescents. Negative attributional style may be a salient risk factor for chronic NSSI engagement.

Does family history of depression predict major depression in midlife women? Study of Women's Health Across the Nation Mental Health Study (SWAN MHS).

This study aims to determine whether family history of depression predicts major depression in midlife women independent of psychosocial and health profiles at midlife. Participants were 303 African American and Caucasian women (42-52 years at baseline) recruited into the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) and the Women's Mental Health Study (MHS) in Pittsburgh. Major depression was assessed annually with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. Family mental health history was collected at the ninth or tenth follow-up. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine whether family history of depression predicted major depression in midlife, adjusting for covariates. The odds of experiencing major depression during the study were three times greater for those with a family history than for those without a family history (OR = 3.22, 95% CI = 1.95-5.31). Family history predicted depression (OR = 2.67, 95% CI = 1.50-4.78) after adjusting for lifetime history of depression, age, trait anxiety, chronic medical conditions, and stressful life events. In analyses stratified by lifetime history of depression, family history significantly predicted depression only among women with a lifetime history of depression. Family history of depression predicts major depression in midlife women generally, but particularly in those with a lifetime history of depression prior to midlife.

Intellectual Disability and Psychiatric Diagnoses of Children and Adolescents with a History of Stressful Events and Social Deprivation in Brazil: Preliminary Results. IQ, Depression and Stress

Background: Studies have shown that stressful events in childhood are associated with impairments in cognitive functions and intellectual disability. Objective: Compare the intellectual functioning in groups of Brazilian children and adolescents with a history of stressful events with lifetime history of depression and without lifetime history of depression. Method: 30 children and adolescents underwent psychiatric evaluation and neuropsychological assessment of estimated intellectual quotient (EIQ), verbal knowledge, and visuospatial skills. Results: 15 patients (50%) had EIQ within the average and 6 had EIQ in the lower average (20%) for Brazilian standardized norms. The other part had at least some degree of intellectual disability and they were classified as: 2 mild mental retardation (6.7%) and 7 borderline (23.3%). Also, half of the sample had at least one lifetime depressive episode, and the performance in EIQ and visuospatial skills was worse in this group. Conclusion: 50% of the children and adolescents with a history of early stressful events and social deprivation had at least some degree of intellectual disability. In addition, a subgroup with history of depressive episodes had worse EIQ performance when compared to those without depression, possibly due to a greater impairment in visuospatial skills. The specific role of impaired right cerebral hemisphere, corpus callosum, and prefrontal cortex associated with depressive disorders and maltreatment should be investigated in further studies.

Asthma and depression: the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study

BackgroundPrior research suggests a possible association between asthma and depression. ObjectiveTo examine the association between asthma and depressive symptoms, controlling for asthma medications, lung function, and overall health. MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study of 12,944 adults who completed physician-based preventive health examinations at the Cooper Clinic from 2000 to 2012. Information on medical histories, including asthma and depression, and medications were collected. Participants reported overall health status, completed spirometry testing, and underwent depression screening using the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Dependent variables of current depressive symptoms (CES-D scores ≥10) and lifetime history of depression were separately modeled using logistic regression with independent variables, including demographics, spirometry, asthma controller medications, and patient-reported health status. ResultsThe sample was predominantly white and well educated. The prevalence of asthma was 9.0%. Asthma was associated with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.41 (95% CI, 1.16-1.70; P < .001) of current depressive symptoms based on CES-D score. Asthma was also associated with lifetime history of depression (OR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.40-1.95; P < .001). Neither lung function nor asthma controller medications were significantly associated with depression. ConclusionAsthma was associated with increased prevalence of current depressive symptoms and lifetime depression in a large sample of relatively healthy adults. These findings suggest that the increased likelihood of depression among patients with asthma does not appear to be exclusively related to severe or poorly controlled asthma. People with asthma, regardless of severity, may benefit from depression screening in clinical settings.