A new survey reported in the October issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, shows depression hitting American Baby Boomers in the "prime of life."
"The highest prevalences were in those who were middle-aged," said lead researcher Deborah Hasin, a professor of clinical psychiatry and public health at Columbia University. "This is the first study to show that depression is an effect specific to this age group -- the Baby Boomers."
"There may have been some specific factors that affected this age group in particular, that caused an excess of major depression compared with younger and older groups," Hasin said. "What that might be is a topic for further investigation."
Risks for depression were also higher for women vs. men, for separated or divorced people compared to married individuals, and for Native Americans and the poor.
Hasin and her colleagues surveyed more than 43,000 U.S. adults aged 18 and older. They found that 5.3 percent of those surveyed had depression within the past year, while 13.2 percent had experienced depression within their lifetime.
In addition, women were more likely to receive treatment than men. Both current and lifetime depression were significantly associated with substance dependence, panic and generalized anxiety disorder, and personality disorders, according to the report.
Source: Forbes HealthDay News, October 3, 2005