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OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors for mood disorders in a community sample studied from the ages of 20 to 35 years. METHOD: Social characteristics, a family history of mood disorders and some personality features were analysed as risk factors for bipolar and depressive disorders by means of logistic regression. RESULTS: Frequent 'ups and downs' of mood were the strongest risk factor for both bipolar and depressive disorders; a weaker risk factor for both was emotional/vegetative lability (neuroticism). An additional risk factor for bipolar disorders was a positive family history of mania, whereas for depression it was a positive family history of depression/fatigue. As a risk factor for bipolar disorders, 'ups and downs' were much stronger than a positive family history of mania. Frequent ups and downs were independent of the family history of mood disorders. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that mood regulation should be investigated as a new, very important independent risk factor for mood disorders.
Angst et al. (Thu,) studied this question.