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A secular increase in child and adolescent onset affective disorder
N D Ryan1, D E Williamson, S Iyengar
1Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh, PA 15213.
Summary
Major affective disorders are increasing in children and adolescents, mirroring trends seen in adults. Recent birth cohorts show a higher risk for these mood disorders in siblings of affected individuals.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Developmental Psychology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Longitudinal and cross-sectional studies indicate a secular increase in major affective disorders among adults.
- Previous research has primarily focused on adult populations, leaving trends in younger age groups less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate secular trends in affective disorders among children and adolescents.
- To determine if a similar increase in affective disorders is occurring in younger populations as observed in adults.
Main Methods:
- Utilized family study data, focusing on siblings of prepubertal probands (identified as normal or depressed).
- Conducted direct interviews with full siblings to assess lifetime episodes of affective disorder.
- Applied the Cox proportional hazards model to analyze sibling data, excluding probands from this specific analysis.
Main Results:
- Evidence suggests a parallel secular increase in child and adolescent onset affective disorders.
- Siblings born more recently exhibited a significantly higher risk for developing affective disorder.
- The findings indicate a trend of increasing mood disorder prevalence in younger populations.
Conclusions:
- Affective disorders are on the rise in both adult and pediatric populations.
- The study provides crucial evidence for increasing mood disorder risk in children and adolescents.
- Further research is warranted to understand the underlying causes and implications of these secular trends.