Cohort study, 1999
How common are depression symptoms in women in their late 30s and early 40s, and what predicts them?
About 22% of women aged 36-44 showed depression symptoms. Marital status, smoking, and having children predicted depression risk more than menstrual cycle changes alone.
What they did
4161 women aged 36-44 from Boston area communities completed a self-administered questionnaire assessing depression symptoms, menstrual history, and lifestyle factors.
What they found
22.4% had depression scores of 16 or more, and 8.6% scored 25 or more on a depression scale. Widowed, divorced, or separated women were twice as likely as married women to have depression scores greater than 16 (95% CI 1.6-2.8). Smokers in the upper tertile of pack-years were 1.9 times more likely to have depression scores of 16 or more (95% CI 1.5-2.3). Women with 3 or more children had significantly lower depression risk (odds ratio 0.4; 95% CI 0.3-0.6) compared to women without children. Five of 8 premenstrual symptoms were significantly associated with depression scores.
What it means for you
Depression in this age group is common and more related to life circumstances than to menstrual changes. Premenstrual symptoms were associated with depression, but menstrual irregularities were not.
22.4%
with depression symptoms
2x
more likely if divorced/separated
1.9x
more likely if heavy smoker
About the study
- Original title
- Prevalence and predictors of depressive symptoms in older premenopausal women: the Harvard Study of Moods and Cycles
- Authors
- Harlow BL, Cohen LS, Otto MW et al.
- Journal
- Archives of general psychiatry
- Year
- 1999
- Study design
- Cohort study
- Participants
- 4,161
- What was tested
- None
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.56.5.418
Topics
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