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Prevalence, correlates, and course of minor depression and major depression in the National Comorbidity Survey.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Kessler, RC; Zhao, S; Blazer, DG; Swartz, M
Published in: J Affect Disord
August 1997

Data from the National Comorbidity Survey are used to study the lifetime prevalences, correlates, course and impairments associated with minor depression (mD), major depression 5-6 symptoms (MD 5-6), and major depression with seven or more symptoms (MD 7-9) in an effort to determine whether mD is on a continuum with MD. There is a monotonic increase in average number of episodes, average length of longest episode, impairment, comorbidity, and parental history of psychiatric disorders as we go from mD to Md 5-6 to MD 7-9. In most of these cases, though, the differences between mD and MD 5-6 are no longer than the differences between MD 5-6 and MD 7-9, arguing for continuity between mD and MD. Coupled with the finding from earlier studies that subclinical depression is a significant risk factor for major depression, these results argue that minor depression is a variant of depressive disorder that should be considered seriously both as a target for preventive intervention and for treatment. The paper closes with suggestions regarding the analysis of mD subtypes in future longitudinal studies.

Duke Scholars

Published In

J Affect Disord

DOI

ISSN

0165-0327

Publication Date

August 1997

Volume

45

Issue

1-2

Start / End Page

19 / 30

Location

Netherlands

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Survival Analysis
  • Substance-Related Disorders
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Sampling Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Recurrence
  • Psychiatry
  • Prevalence
 

Citation

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ICMJE
MLA
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Kessler, R. C., Zhao, S., Blazer, D. G., & Swartz, M. (1997). Prevalence, correlates, and course of minor depression and major depression in the National Comorbidity Survey. J Affect Disord, 45(1–2), 19–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0165-0327(97)00056-6
Kessler, R. C., S. Zhao, D. G. Blazer, and M. Swartz. “Prevalence, correlates, and course of minor depression and major depression in the National Comorbidity Survey.J Affect Disord 45, no. 1–2 (August 1997): 19–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0165-0327(97)00056-6.
Kessler RC, Zhao S, Blazer DG, Swartz M. Prevalence, correlates, and course of minor depression and major depression in the National Comorbidity Survey. J Affect Disord. 1997 Aug;45(1–2):19–30.
Kessler, R. C., et al. “Prevalence, correlates, and course of minor depression and major depression in the National Comorbidity Survey.J Affect Disord, vol. 45, no. 1–2, Aug. 1997, pp. 19–30. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/s0165-0327(97)00056-6.
Kessler RC, Zhao S, Blazer DG, Swartz M. Prevalence, correlates, and course of minor depression and major depression in the National Comorbidity Survey. J Affect Disord. 1997 Aug;45(1–2):19–30.
Journal cover image

Published In

J Affect Disord

DOI

ISSN

0165-0327

Publication Date

August 1997

Volume

45

Issue

1-2

Start / End Page

19 / 30

Location

Netherlands

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Survival Analysis
  • Substance-Related Disorders
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Sampling Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Recurrence
  • Psychiatry
  • Prevalence