June 1, 2001American Journal of Psychiatry
The Interplay and Etiological Continuity of Neuroticism, Difficulties, and Life Events in the Etiology of Major and Subsyndromal, First and Recurrent Depressive Episodes in Later Life
Key result
High neuroticism and long-term difficulties increased the risk of late-life depression and substantially modified the depressogenic effect of stressful life events.
Why the study?
Does the interplay of neuroticism, difficulties, and stressful life events affect the etiology of depressive episodes in later life?
Population
166 elderly subjects from a community survey
Comparison
Exposure to stressful life events, long-term… vs Comparison participants without depressive…
Design
Case-control
Authors
Discussion
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Implication
Supports stress-vulnerability model for late-life depression; hypothesis-generating, needs prospective validation before clinical use.
Study Design
Type
Case-Control (n=166)
Structured PICO
Does the interplay of neuroticism, difficulties, and stressful life events affect the etiology of depressive episodes in later life?
P
Population
166 elderly subjects from a community survey (83 who subsequently developed a depressive episode and 83 randomly selected comparison participants)
I
Intervention
Exposure to stressful life events, long-term difficulties, and high neuroticism
C
Comparator
Comparison participants without depressive episodes / absence of these risk factors
O
Outcome
Onset of major and subsyndromal, first and recurrent depressive episodes
The study supports a dynamic stress-vulnerability model for late-life depression, showing etiological discontinuity between first and recurrent episodes but not between major and subsyndromal episodes.
Cite This Study
Ormel et al. (2001) conducted a case-control in Late-life depression (n=166). Stressful life events, long-term difficulties, and high neuroticism vs. Randomly selected comparison participants was evaluated on Development of a depressive episode. High neuroticism and long-term difficulties increased the risk of late-life depression and substantially modified the depressogenic effect of stressful life events.