Sex and depression in the National Comorbidity Survey. II: cohort effects
Abstract
Data from a nationally representative sample of the general population are used to study cohort differences in the prevalence of DSM-III-R Major Depressive Episode (MDE). We document increasing lifetime prevalence of MDE among both men and women in more recent cohorts, but no major change in the sex ratio over the 40-year period retrospectively covered in the survey. We find a cohort difference in 12-month MDE, with older women much more likely than older men to have recurrent episodes. This sex difference in recurrence plays an important part in the elevated 12-month prevalence of depression among women compared to men in the 45-54 age range.
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Stress-related disorders such as depression and anxiety are more common in women than in men.
“Although this may reduce the generalizability of our results, it is important to note that stressrelated disorders such as depression and anxiety are more common in women than in men (Bandelow and Michaelis, 2015;Kessler et al., 1994).”
From Cortisol Response to Stress: The Role of Expectancy and Anticipatory Stress Regulation (2020) · cites this paper as Kessler et al., 1994
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- Authors
- Kessler, R. C., McGonagle, K. A., Nelson, C. B., Hughes, M., Swartz, M., & Blazer, D. G.
- Affiliations
- University of Michigan (US)
- Duke Medical Center (US)
- Corresponding author
- Kessler, Ronald C.
- Venue
- Journal of Affective Disorders
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1994-01
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 15-26
- ISSN
- 0165-0327 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2039045651
- Cited by
- 486
- References
- 43
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 23 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 23
- FWCI
- 17.09
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Affective Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Deep Blue (University of Michigan) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (1 K01 MH00507, R01MH046376, 5 R01 MH46376)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
- Keywords
- depression, cohort effects, sex differences, major depressive episode, lifetime prevalence, 12-month prevalence, recurrence, depression in women, age differences, National Comorbidity Survey
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Child, Child, Preschool, Chronic Disease, Cross-Sectional Studies, Depressive Disorder, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Recurrence, Risk Factors, United States, Cohort Studies, Comorbidity, Incidence
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