Skip to main content
PMC home page
American Journal of Public Health logoLink to American Journal of Public Health
. 1988 May;78(5):534–540. doi: 10.2105/ajph.78.5.534

Incidence of depression and anxiety: the Stirling County Study.

J M Murphy 1, D C Olivier 1, R R Monson 1, A M Sobol 1, A H Leighton 1
PMCID: PMC1349333  PMID: 3258479

Abstract

Prevalence studies in psychiatric epidemiology out-number incidence investigations by a wide margin. This report gives descriptive information about the incidence of depression and anxiety disorders in a general population. Using data gathered in a 16-year follow-up of an adult sample selected as part of the Stirling County Study (Canada), the incidence of these types of disorders was found to be approximately nine cases per 1,000 persons per year. The data suggest that for every man who became ill for the first time with one of these disorders, three women became ill. Incidence tended to be higher among relatively young persons. These incidence rates are consistent with prevalence rates of approximately 10 per cent to 15 per cent for depression and anxiety disorders aggregated together, given an estimated average duration of illness of about 10 years. It is concluded that these incidence rates are fairly realistic in view of evidence that disorders of these types tend to be chronic.

Full text

PDF
534

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bebbington P., Hurry J., Tennant C., Sturt E., Wing J. K. Epidemiology of mental disorders in Camberwell. Psychol Med. 1981 Aug;11(3):561–579. doi: 10.1017/s0033291700052879. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Beiser M. A psychiatric follow-up study of "normal" adults. Am J Psychiatry. 1971 May;127(11):1464–1472. doi: 10.1176/ajp.127.11.1464. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Boyd J. H., Burke J. D., Jr, Gruenberg E., Holzer C. E., 3rd, Rae D. S., George L. K., Karno M., Stoltzman R., McEvoy L., Nestadt G. Exclusion criteria of DSM-III. A study of co-occurrence of hierarchy-free syndromes. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1984 Oct;41(10):983–989. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1984.01790210065008. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Boyd J. H., Weissman M. M. Epidemiology of affective disorders. A reexamination and future directions. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1981 Sep;38(9):1039–1046. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1981.01780340091011. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. DOHRENWEND B. P., DOHRENWEND B. S. THE PROBLEM OF VALIDITY IN FIELD STUDIES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDER. J Abnorm Psychol. 1965 Feb;70:52–69. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Egeland J. A., Gerhard D. S., Pauls D. L., Sussex J. N., Kidd K. K., Allen C. R., Hostetter A. M., Housman D. E. Bipolar affective disorders linked to DNA markers on chromosome 11. 1987 Feb 26-Mar 4Nature. 325(6107):783–787. doi: 10.1038/325783a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Endicott J., Spitzer R. L. A diagnostic interview: the schedule for affective disorders and schizophrenia. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1978 Jul;35(7):837–844. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1978.01770310043002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Gershon E. S., Bunney W. E., Jr, Leckman J. F., Eerdewegh M., DeBauche B. A. The inheritance of affective disorders: a review of data and of hypotheses. Behav Genet. 1976 Jul;6(3):227–261. doi: 10.1007/BF01065722. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hagnell O., Lanke J., Rorsman B., Ojesjö L. Are we entering an age of melancholy? Depressive illnesses in a prospective epidemiological study over 25 years: the Lundby Study, Sweden. Psychol Med. 1982 May;12(2):279–289. doi: 10.1017/s0033291700046614. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hankin J. R., Locke B. Z. The persistence of depressive symptomatology among prepaid group practice enrollees: an exploratory study. Am J Public Health. 1982 Sep;72(9):1000–1007. doi: 10.2105/ajph.72.9.1000. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hornstra R. K., Klassen D. The course of depression. Compr Psychiatry. 1977 Mar-Apr;18(2):119–125. doi: 10.1016/0010-440x(77)90054-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Kaplan G. A., Roberts R. E., Camacho T. C., Coyne J. C. Psychosocial predictors of depression. Prospective evidence from the human population laboratory studies. Am J Epidemiol. 1987 Feb;125(2):206–220. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a114521. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Keller M. B., Lavori P. W., Rice J., Coryell W., Hirschfeld R. M. The persistent risk of chronicity in recurrent episodes of nonbipolar major depressive disorder: a prospective follow-up. Am J Psychiatry. 1986 Jan;143(1):24–28. doi: 10.1176/ajp.143.1.24. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Keller M. B., Shapiro R. W. "Double depression": superimposition of acute depressive episodes on chronic depressive disorders. Am J Psychiatry. 1982 Apr;139(4):438–442. doi: 10.1176/ajp.139.4.438. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Kendler K. S., Heath A., Martin N. G., Eaves L. J. Symptoms of anxiety and depression in a volunteer twin population. The etiologic role of genetic and environmental factors. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1986 Mar;43(3):213–221. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1986.01800030023002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Klerman G. L., Lavori P. W., Rice J., Reich T., Endicott J., Andreasen N. C., Keller M. B., Hirschfield R. M. Birth-cohort trends in rates of major depressive disorder among relatives of patients with affective disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1985 Jul;42(7):689–693. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1985.01790300057007. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. LEIGHTON D. C., HARDING J. S., MACKLIN D. B., HUGHES C. C., LEIGHTON A. H. Psychiatric findings of the Stirling Country Study. Am J Psychiatry. 1963 May;119:1021–1026. doi: 10.1176/ajp.119.11.1021. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Lapouse R. Problems in studying the prevalence of psychiatric disorder. Am J Public Health Nations Health. 1967 Jun;57(6):947–954. doi: 10.2105/ajph.57.6.947. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Monson R. R. Analysis of relative survival and proportional mortality. Comput Biomed Res. 1974 Aug;7(4):325–332. doi: 10.1016/0010-4809(74)90010-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Murphy J. M. Continuities in community-based psychiatric epidemiology. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1980 Nov;37(11):1215–1223. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1980.01780240013001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Murphy J. M., Monson R. R., Olivier D. C., Sobol A. M., Leighton A. H. Affective disorders and mortality. A general population study. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1987 May;44(5):473–480. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1987.01800170095012. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Murphy J. M., Neff R. K., Sobol A. M., Rice J. X., Jr, Olivier D. C. Computer diagnosis of depression and anxiety: the Stirling County Study. Psychol Med. 1985 Feb;15(1):99–112. doi: 10.1017/s0033291700020961. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Murphy J. M., Olivier D. C., Sobol A. M., Monson R. R., Leighton A. H. Diagnosis and outcome: depression and anxiety in a general population. Psychol Med. 1986 Feb;16(1):117–126. doi: 10.1017/s0033291700057809. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Murphy J. M., Sobol A. M., Neff R. K., Olivier D. C., Leighton A. H. Stability of prevalence. Depression and anxiety disorders. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1984 Oct;41(10):990–997. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1984.01790210072009. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Myers J. K., Weissman M. M., Tischler G. L., Holzer C. E., 3rd, Leaf P. J., Orvaschel H., Anthony J. C., Boyd J. H., Burke J. D., Jr, Kramer M. Six-month prevalence of psychiatric disorders in three communities 1980 to 1982. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1984 Oct;41(10):959–967. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1984.01790210041006. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Regier D. A., Myers J. K., Kramer M., Robins L. N., Blazer D. G., Hough R. L., Eaton W. W., Locke B. Z. The NIMH Epidemiologic Catchment Area program. Historical context, major objectives, and study population characteristics. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1984 Oct;41(10):934–941. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1984.01790210016003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Robins L. N., Helzer J. E., Croughan J., Ratcliff K. S. National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Its history, characteristics, and validity. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1981 Apr;38(4):381–389. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1981.01780290015001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Robins L. N., Helzer J. E., Weissman M. M., Orvaschel H., Gruenberg E., Burke J. D., Jr, Regier D. A. Lifetime prevalence of specific psychiatric disorders in three sites. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1984 Oct;41(10):949–958. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1984.01790210031005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Weissman M. M. Advances in psychiatric epidemiology: rates and risks for major depression. Am J Public Health. 1987 Apr;77(4):445–451. doi: 10.2105/ajph.77.4.445. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from American Journal of Public Health are provided here courtesy of American Public Health Association

RESOURCES