Sex-related differences in depression: Familial evidence

John Rice; Theodore Reich; Nancy C Andreasen; Philip W Lavori; Jean Endicott; Paula J Clayton; Martin B Keller; Robert M.A Hirschfeld; Gerald L Klerman

doi:10.1016/0165-0327(84)90041-7

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Sex-related differences in depression: Familial evidence

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Sex-related differences in depression: Familial evidence

John Rice, Theodore Reich, Nancy C Andreasen, Philip W Lavori, Jean Endicott, Paula J Clayton, Martin B Keller, Robert M.A Hirschfeld and Gerald L Klerman

Journal of affective disorders, Vol.7(3), pp.199-210

1984

DOI: 10.1016/0165-0327(84)90041-7

PMID: 6241204

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Abstract

After a description of threshold models of familial transmission based on an underlying continuous liability distribution, family data from the NIMH-CRB Collaborative Psychobiology of Depression Program-Clinical are described. No sex differences are found for bipolar illness, whereas female relatives have an increased rate of primary unipolar illness when compared to male relatives. This effect persists when relatives are classified according to recurrence, current illness, onset within the last 10 years, and treatment. Moreover, a cohort effect is present in the data and indicates a sex ratio close to one in the young cohort (⩽25). We considered the transmission of illness from parent to offspring by using survival analysis to examine the proportion of ill brothers and sisters of probands according to the affection status of parents. A maternal effect is found, with the mother having a greater influence on the liability of offspring of either sex. This is at odds with the notion that males and females have identical liabilities, but females have a lower threshold reflecting acknowledgment of more symptoms, etc. However, the mean difference in liability between the sexes may be due to systematic biological/cultural differences, with parental transmission contributing to variation about their means.

Familial evidence

Depression

Sex differences

Details

Title: Subtitle: Sex-related differences in depression: Familial evidence
Creators: John Rice
Theodore Reich
Nancy C Andreasen
Philip W Lavori
Jean Endicott
Paula J Clayton
Martin B Keller
Robert M.A Hirschfeld
Gerald L Klerman
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Journal of affective disorders, Vol.7(3), pp.199-210
DOI: 10.1016/0165-0327(84)90041-7
PMID: 6241204
NLM abbreviation: J Affect Disord
ISSN: 0165-0327
eISSN: 1573-2517
Publisher: Elsevier B.V
Language: English
Date published: 1984
Academic Unit: Psychiatry; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
Record Identifier: 9984003991802771

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