Br J Psychiatry. 2016 Apr;208(4):337-42. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.114.155333. Epub 2016 Jan 21.

Duration of depressive symptoms and mortality risk: the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA).

White J¹, Zaninotto P², Walters K², Kivimäki M², Demakakos P², Biddulph J², Kumari M², De Oliveira C², Gallacher J², Batty GD².

Author information

1: James White, PhD, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff; Paola Zaninotto, PhD, Kate Walters, PhD, Mika Kivimäki, PhD, Panayotes Demakakos, PhD, Jane Biddulph, PhD, Meena Kumari, PhD, Cesar De Oliveira, PhD, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London; John Gallacher, PhD, Cochrane Institute of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff; G. David Batty, DSc, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK whitej11@cf.ac.uk.
2: James White, PhD, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff; Paola Zaninotto, PhD, Kate Walters, PhD, Mika Kivimäki, PhD, Panayotes Demakakos, PhD, Jane Biddulph, PhD, Meena Kumari, PhD, Cesar De Oliveira, PhD, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London; John Gallacher, PhD, Cochrane Institute of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff; G. David Batty, DSc, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The relationship between the duration of depressive symptoms and mortality remains poorly understood.

AIMS:

To examine whether the duration of depressive symptoms is associated with mortality risk.

METHOD:

Data (n= 9560) came from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). We assessed depressive symptom duration as the sum of examinations with an eight-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale score of ⩾3; we ascertained mortality from linking our data to a national register.

RESULTS:

Relative to those participants who never reported symptoms, the age- and gender-adjusted hazard ratios for elevated depressive symptoms over 1, 2, 3 and 4 examinations were 1.41 (95% CI 1.15-1.74), 1.80 (95% CI 1.44-2.26), 1.97 (95% CI 1.57-2.47) and 2.48 (95% CI 1.90-3.23), respectively (Pfor trend <0.001). This graded association can be explained largely by differences in physical activity, cognitive function, functional impairments and physical illness.