The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #44750

Robert H. Friis, PhD¹, Hans-Ulrich Wittchen, PhD², Hildegard Pfister, Dipl-Inf², and Roselind Lieb, PhD². (1) Health Science Department, California State University, Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90840-4902, 562.985-1537, rfriis@csulb.edu, (2) Clinical Psychology and Epidemiology Unit, Max Planck Institute for Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2, Munich, D-80804, Germany

Background. This research examined the impact of stressful life events on the longitudinal course of depression, including whether stressful life events would be associated with depressive symptom onset, improvement, and stability. Methods. Data were from the Early Developmental Stages of Psychopathology Study (EDSP), a prospective-longitudinal design based on interviews of a representative community sample of 3000 adolescents and young adults from the Munich area, aged 14-24 years at baseline. The life events measure, the Munich Events List (MEL) consisted of 83 items that covered 10 dimensions. Subscales categorized life events clusters according to dimensions such as positive and negative and controllable and uncontrollable. The depression measure was the Munich Composite Diagnostic Interview (M-CIDI). Multiple logistic regression analyses examined the effects of 22 predictors on the course of depression. Results. Seven variables predicted onset of depression versus no change. Male sex and lower education were protective factors. Younger age, low social class, anxiety, negative life events, and stressful life events linked to the family were associated with increased risk of new onset of depression. Absence of stressful school and family events related to improvement in depression. The weighted total number of life events predicted stable depression. Conclusions. The association between life events and the course of depression appears to vary according to the outcome being examined, with different clusters of life events differentially predicting onset, improvement, and stability.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss previous research findings on the role of stressful life events in the etiology of depressive symptoms.
• Recognize alternative study designs for assessing for impact of life events on depressive symptoms.
• Identify the differential impact of life events clusters on changes in depressive symptoms.

Keywords: Depression, Stress

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.