Natural course of adolescent major depressive disorder: I. Continuity intoyoung adulthood

Citation
Pm. Lewinsohn et al., Natural course of adolescent major depressive disorder: I. Continuity intoyoung adulthood, J AM A CHIL, 38(1), 1999, pp. 56-63
Citations number
47
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Psychiatry
Journal title
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY
ISSN journal
0890-8567 → ACNP
Volume
38
Issue
1
Year of publication
1999
Pages
56 - 63
Database
ISI
SICI code
0890-8567(199901)38:1<56:NCOAMD>2.0.ZU;2-0
Abstract
Objective: To examine the course of adolescent major depressive disorder (M DD) by comparing rates of mood and non-mood disorders between age 19 and 24 years in participants with a history of adolescent MDD versus participants with adolescent adjustment disorder with depressed mood, nonaffective diso rder, and no disorder. Method: Participants from a large community sample w ho had been interviewed twice during adolescence completed a third intervie w assessing Axis I psychopathology and antisocial and borderline personalit y disorders after their 24th birthday: 261 participants with MDD, 73 with a djustment disorder, 133 with nonaffective disorder, and 272 with no disorde r through age 18. Results: MDD in young adulthood was significantly more co mmon in the adolescent MDD group than the nonaffective and no disorder grou ps (average annual rate of MDD = 9.0%, 5.6%, and 3.7%, respectively). Adole scents with MDD also had a high rate of nonaffective disorders in young adu lthood (annual nonaffective disorder rate = 6.6%) but did not differ from a dolescents with nonaffective disorder (7.2%). Prevalence rates of dysthymia and bipolar disorder were low (<1%). Adolescents with adjustment disorder exhibited similar rates of MDD and nonaffective disorders in young adulthoo d as adolescents with MDD. Conclusions: This study documents the significan t continuity of MDD from adolescence to young adulthood. Public health impl ications of the findings are discussed.