Charlton, Rebecca A; Lamar, Melissa; Ajilore, Olusola and Kumar, Anand. 2013. Preliminary analysis of age of illness onset effects on symptom profiles in major depressive disorder. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 28(11), pp. 1166-1174. ISSN 0885-6230 [Article]

No full text available

Abstract or Description

OBJECTIVE: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is prevalent across the lifespan, but relatively little is known about how age of illness onset impacts the cognitive and affective presentation of MDD. METHOD: We explore depressive symptoms and cognition in 70 adults (30-89 years old) with MDD. Participants were divided into three groups on the basis of age of MDD onset: early (<30 years), midlife (30-49.9 years), and late (>50 years). Symptoms were assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale; principal component analysis was used to create symptom component scores. Cognitive functions were measured. RESULTS: The late-onset group were significantly older than the early-onset and midlife-onset groups. Analysis controlled for age and hemoglobin A1c levels, as some participants had diabetes. The late-onset group demonstrated greater weight loss and gastrointestinal symptoms compared with the early-onset group. Suicidal thoughts and sleep disturbance were higher in both the early-onset and late-onset groups compared with the midlife-onset group. Correlations between symptom components and cognitive domains varied by age-of-onset group. DISCUSSION: This preliminary analysis demonstrates cognitive and affective profiles that are both unique to age of onset and common across MDD. Symptom profiles may assist in identifying factors influencing depression and enhance the clinical evaluation and care of individuals struggling with the effects of depression across the lifespan. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Item Type:	Article
Identification Number (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.3939
Additional Information:	Research Funding: National Institute of Mental Health. Grant Number: MH073989‐04 to AK
Keywords:	major depressive disorder, symptom profile, cognition, ageing
Departments, Centres and Research Units:	Psychology
Dates:	Date Event 19 February 2013 Published Online November 2013 Published
Item ID:	8311
Date Deposited:	09 Jun 2013 12:42
Last Modified:	23 Apr 2021 15:19
Peer Reviewed:	Yes, this version has been peer-reviewed.
URI:	https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/8311

Edit Record (login required)